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CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiq 


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Tachnical  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notos  tachniquas  at  bibliographiquas 


Tha  I 
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Tha  Instituta  has  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Faaturas  of  this 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagas  in  tha 
raproduction.  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
tha  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  baiow. 


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Coloured  covars/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurAa  at/ou  pelliculAa 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  giographiquas  an  coulaur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  do  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
RalM  avac  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrie  peut  causer  de  i'ombre  9u  de  ia 
distorsicn  le  long  de  la  marge  IntArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  tha  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutiaa 
lore  d'una  restauration  apparaiaaent  dana  la  texte. 
male,  lorsqua  cela  ttait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  M  filmtes. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  iti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographiqua.  qui  peuvant  modifier 
una  image  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  una 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normala  de  filmage 
sont  indiquis  ci-dessous. 


□  Coloured  pages/ 
Pagea  de  couleur 

□   Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagias 

D 


E 
D 


D 
0 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  rastaurAas  at/ou  pelliculies 

Pagea  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dAcolortos,  tachetAes  ou  piquies 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditach^s 


The 
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fllmi 


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the  I 
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first 
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Drill 


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Transparence 


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Quality  inigala  de  {'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  material  suppi^mantaira 


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Map 
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Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalamant  ou  partieilament 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  una  pelure. 
etc..  ont  M  filmies  i  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  maitleure  image  possible. 


0 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmantairas: 


Wrinkled  pages  may  film  slightly  out  of  focus. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fllmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


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12X 


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IS  du 
nodifier 
ir  una 
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»s 


Th«  copy  fllmad  h«r«  hat  b««n  r«produc«d  thank* 
to  tha  o«n*rotity  of: 

Douglas  Library 
Quaan's  Univarsity 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  iagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacif ications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covara  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impraa- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  imprassion. 


Tha  last  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  -^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  applias. 

IMaps,  platas,  charts,  ate,  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraly  includad  in  ona  axposura  ara  filmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  cornar,  iaft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framas  as 
raquirad.  Tha  following  diagrams  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


L'axamplaira  film*  Vut  raproduit  grica  A  la 
g^niroaiti  da: 

Douglas  Library 
Quean's  Univarsity 

Lae  imagas  suivantas  ont  At*  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattati  da  l'axamplaira  film*,  at  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Las  axamplairas  originaux  dbnt  la  couvartura  an 
papiar  ast  imprimia  sont  f ilmte  9n  commanpant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'Impraasion  ou  d'iiiuatration,  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autra*  axamplairas 
originaux  sont  filmAa  an  commandant  par  la 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'Impraasion  ou  d'illustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darnidra  paga  qui  comporta  una  talla 
amprainta. 

Un  das  symbolas  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
darnlAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha,  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbols  — ►  signifia  "A  SUIVRE",  la 
symbols  V  signifia  "FIN". 

Las  cartas,  planchas,  tablaaux,  ate,  pauvant  Atra 
filmAs  A  das  taux  da  rMuction  diff Arants. 
Lorsqua  la  documant  ast  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
raproduit  an  un  saul  clichA,  il  ast  film*  A  partir 
da  I'angla  supAriaur  gaucha,  da  gaucha  A  droita, 
at  da  haut  an  bas,  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'imagas  nAcassaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrant  la  mAthoda. 


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FISHBR.  SON    fc  r  •    LONDON   »  TARIP  , 


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A  M  ERICA, 


HlSTOHlt^U  8TATI 


AbiB  DESCRIPTIVE. 


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I2f     TWO     VOLUMES. 


VOL.L 


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rniJLlSIIED  BY  HaRPKU  vt  BROTHEfl-'^,  62  CI?!  F-STRS^T. 

184  3.  ;■ 


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AMERICA, 


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HISTORICAL,  STATISTIC,  AND  D.lSCRIPTIVE. 


BT 


J.   S.   BUCKINGHAM,   ESQ. 


IN     TWO     VOLUMES. 


VOLL 


N  E  W- Y  0  R  K  : 
PUBLISHED  BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  82  CLIFF-STREET. 

1841. 


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DEDICATION. 


TO  HIS  ROYAL  HIGHNESS  PRINCE  ALBERT. 

g  LONDOH,  M«/  1,  1841. 

When  I  took  the  liberty  to  transmit  to  your  royal  high- 
ness  the  announcement  of  my  proposed  work  on  America, 
you  did  me  the  honour  to  assure  me,  that  "  it  would  afford 
you  much  pleasure  to  give  it  your  full  sanction  and  patron- 
age.  Your  royal  highness  farther  condescended  to  ob- 
serve,  that  "  the  feelings  of  good-will  towards  the  American 
people,  under  which  this  work  was  undertaken,  could  not 
fail  at  the  present  moment  of  producing  a  desirable  effect." 

While  I  am  deeply  sensible  of  this  act  of  kindness  on  the 
part  of  your  royal  highness  towards  myself  personally,  I  feel 
yet  more  strongly  the  value  and  importance,  from  their  fu- 
ture  influence  on  the  public  weal,  of  the  generous  sentiments 
to  which  your  royal  highness  has  been  pleased  to  give  ex- 
pression. 

A  sense  of  gratitude  on  my  own  part,  and  a  stiU  higher 
sentiment  of  duty  towards  the  people  of  England  and 
America,  thus  encourage  me  to  make  kno^vn  to  both  the  no- 
ble and  enlightened  views  with  which  your  royal  highness 
desires  to  promote  whatever  can  strengthen  the  friendly  re- 
lations  between  their  respective  countries. 

I  cannot,  therefore,  commit  my  humble  labours  to  the 
press  under  more  appropriate  or  more  distiaguished  auspi- 
ces  than  those  of  your  royal  highness,  to  whom  I  cheerfully 
dedicate  these  volumes ;  in  the  confident  hope  that  they 
will  awaken  in  other  minds  the  same  friendly  and  benevo- 
lent  aspirations  after  "peace  on  earth  and  good-wiU  to 
man,"  which  beamed  so  generously  and  spontaneously  from 
your  own.  ' 

Your  royal  highness  cannot  be  indifferent  to  international 
friendships,  as  the  illustrious  consort  of  a  queen  whose  broad 
realm  embraces  such  extended  possessions  that  the  sun  nev. 
er  ceases  to  shu.e  on  some  portion  or  other  of  her  vast  do- 


6028 


.)    * 


"  DEDICATION. 

minions  ;  its  evening  rays  still  lingering  amid  the  shrines 
and  domes  that  stud  the  banks  of  the  mighty  Ganges,  while 
Its  mormng  beams  are  just  beginning  to  gild  the  spires  and 
turrets  scattered  along  the  margin  of  the  still  more  magnifi- 
cent  St.  Lawrence. 

To  her  protection,  multitudinous  nations,  provinces,  and 
tribes,  of  every  hue  and  creed,  from  "The  gorgeous  East" 
to  tho&e  primeval  forests  of  the  Western  world 

"  Where  the  poor  Indian,  whose  untutored  mind, 
Sees  God  in  clouds,  or  hears  him  in  the  wind," 

all  look  up  with  hope  ;  and  think  that,  while  the  diadem  of 
England  sits  on  so  fair  a  brow,  and  its  sceptre  is  wielded 
by  so  gentle  a  hand,  they  may  count  on  Mercy, 
"  The  brightest  jewel  that  adorns  the  crown," 

SO  tempering  Justice  in  its  administration  as  to  make  the 
condition  of  themselves  and  all  their  children  more  happy 
than  under  any  previous  reign. 

■  It  is,  therefore,  but  a  just  compliment  to  your  royal  high- 
ness to  believe  that  every  portion  of  the  globe  which  owns 
her  majesty's  benignant  sway  should  enlist  your  generous 
sympathies,  .in  its  actual  condition,  as  well  as  in  its  future 
prospects :  and  as  it  has  fallen  to  my  lot  to  visit  nearly  all 
the  possessions  of  her  majesty's  crown  in  Europe,  Asia, 
Africa,  and  America,  and  thus  to  see  for  myself  the  power- 
ful claims  they  possess  to  royal  favour  and  public  support, 
I  may  hope  to  be  the  more  readily  forgiven  for  availing  my' 
self  of  every  opportunity  to  express  my  earnest  and  imaba- 
ted  interest  in  their  prosperity. 

In  the  sincere  hope  that  your  royal  highness  may  long  be 
permitted  to  enjoy  the  distinguished  happiness  with  which 
you  are  at  present  blessed ;  and  that  her  majesty  may  be  hon- 
oured of  Heaven  to  be  the  happy  instrument,  in  the  hands 
of  Divme  Providence,  of  conferring,  by  her  enlightened  and 
pacific  rule  in  the  British  dominions,  at  home  and  abroad,  a 
larger  measure  of  prosperity,  virtue,  piety,  and  justly-earned   ' 
renown  than  any  of  her  predecessors  on  the  imperial  throne, 
I  have  the  honour  to  be  your  royal  highness's  obliged  and 
devoted  servant,  j.  g.  Buckingham. 

4  Camden  Ttrrace,  V^ut,  Camden  New  Toum. 


m 


"* 


CONTENTS 


OP 


THE    FIRST   VOLUME. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Motivei  for  visiting  the  United  States.-Intercourse  with  yarioa*  ClaiMs  of  SocletT  — 
Sut«".T„*H  ??°«';"P*"'=''l  K»."8«  "^ 'he  Country  traversed-Names  of  the  wveral 
Statea  and  Territories  exatnined.-Form  of  Narrative  adopted  in  Description  —His- 
torical  and  statistical  Sketciies  blended  with  thi..-General  Topic.  cSidwelVoa 
in  Cities  and  States.-Fictures  of  Manners  tnd  CuatomMn  public  and  private  Life 

Page  13 

CHAPTER  11. 

Departure  from  England  -Anival  at  New- York—Address  to  the  American  Public  ia- 
su«l  on  Landing.-Different  Courses  of  Lectures  delivered  in  the  City  -AUendance 
New"  Vn'lu^'pi'"*'  <'  ^T't""'  Objects.-New.york  State Tem^tLeEty!! 
Yorloitv  Tr»".?%tT','"^-'^**.^?"r5  °"  '•'*  !"''j'"^'  "^  P"''"«=  E''ucation.-New. 
Jh/^  Ft.  '"If  ®°.'"">'tT°'?^  .*'".""*"'=«  Society.-Ladies  Meeting  for  the  Or- 
phan  Asylum.-Meeting  of  the  Friends  of  Sailors'  Homes-Visit  to  one  of  th3  eI 
tablisbments  of  this  Institution-Admirable  Arrangement  for  the  Comforts  of  Sel^ 
T^TF.T''^-  E«"""on  to  Newark  with  the  Hon'^an.  Webster.- vTsU  to  Polling 
places  at  the  Time  of  Election—Legal  and  Clerical  Partiea— Intellectual  Soirees    19 

CHAPTER  III.  *^ 

History  of  NewTork  froni  1609  to  1838.-TopograpbT  a,:d  Plan  of  the  City  and  its 

ll"innT''T^*i°""^5« -^'P'*^''/  "^  ^^^  '""«"*«  "^  PoP"iotion.-CompaV^on  of  ts 
Shipping  at  different  Periods— Augmentation  of  ii»  Revenue  and  Foreign  Commerce 
-Admirable  Situation  chosen  for  the  City.-Great  Advantage  of  extensive  Water" 
margin— Outline  of  the  Plan,  and  general  Form  of  the  City-Public  Squires  and 
open  Spaces mNew-York-Public  Buildings:  Citv  Hall, Cu'stomtoLXchan™ 
-Churches,  and  Style  of  Architecture  in  general  Ose.-Hotels,  and  general  Accoml 
moda  ion  m  them.-Private  Dwellings ;  Interior,  Style,  Furniture  -Streets  and  S 
Peculiaritiescompared  withours.- Appearance  of  the  principal  Shops  or  Stores — 
Number  of  elegantly -dressed  Ladies  in  Broadway.- Absence  of  the  splendid  Equi- 
pages  01  J!.nglana ^  ^o_ 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Popalation  of  New-York.-Strangers,  Residents,  Merchants,  Tr  --n.—Public  Convav 
ances,  Omnibuses.  Hackney-coaches, — Private  Eauioaires  ,'  ,•  >iai>a«  «=«,.r.l.  ' 
Male  and  Female  Society,  ^Differences  between  inipl.  at 3  SsB^llsaiid 
Supper8.-Cofflpart8on  between  English  and  American  Soirees.-Expensive  and  nr^ 
fose  Entertamments  given.--Condition  of  the  humbler  Classes  in  America -Political 
Parties,  Conservatives,  Reformers,  Radicals,  Americans,  Whigs,  Democrats  Loco- 
focos-Politics  of  the  wealthy  Mercantile  Classes.-Causes  of  the  recVnt  Panifor 
Embarrassment.-Extravagant  Habits  engendered  by  the  Credit  System  -Eftfectsof 
this  on  all  Classes  of  Society.-Loss  of  820.000#0  by  the  great  Fire  at  New  York -1 
Newspapers  of  New-York— Organs  of  Parties.-Penny  Newspapers,  Character  and 
Influences-Proceedings  of  the  Election  for  State  Legislature  -Public  Mee^n^s^n 
support  Candidates  for  Office.-State  of  Political  Partfes-Deadirrec  procal  SfstiU 
ty.-Gross  Misrepresentations  of  the  Motives  and  Ends  of  each— Difficulty  of  « 
tractmg  Truth  from  such  conflicting  Statements.-Attendance  at  the  PoHs  dunn^  the 
Election-Deficiency  of  a  previous  Registration  of  Voters.- Vote  by  Ballot  not  se! 
cret  votmg  generaUy.-Reasons  why  this  is  not  necessary  in  America-! Success  of 
the  Whigs  in  the  New-York  Election-Intoxication  of  Joy  in  the  triumphant  Party 
;^bi[«lTt"w/'T'''  °^  ^"^'''"^  Demonstration-National  CharacTefaSd  Taste 
'       ' '       •       .       .       .    i5 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Deep-rooted  Prejiidicei  on  the  Subifict  of  Blaverv  — Muntar  nf  Mp  t  /...;»    .l    .  ■. 
Uionut,  .t.Alton.-Condurt  of  trie  New  Ymk^^r.■.^.nHVl.*L^h;W^.•^•'  ^^Jhk 


lit.oni.t,  at  AUon:-cVndu7t\Tt"i{;''Ne;-YoIk']p;;«rHV°,'  T'  ^^r^^'*^^  AJhk 

ln,per(ect  View,  of  the  Value  of  .%Wre„.-S;"^^^^^^^^^ 

psM  on  this  Act  -Resolutions  of  LeRJRlalures  rXeT  Recemion  h»'.i?!  2  '"  H""' 

Rojection  of  all  Petition,  on  the  Suhj'ct  by  the  Hr.e  of  CienUti..!  ^T^'- 

edly  bitter  Reproach  of  Thomas  Moor.,  iho  Poet."  Cont?L"Ee^   lZn7,'^"'* 

Slavery  ,n  the  United  Staiea.-Tlire.ts  of  Senator,  tota,^  nn  *.?„**"?"."=';  !!!1!» 


s.^.ryi;,,^u„i^^;^;r!i= 


Rebel,:rM7;b'(5o;me]l7enTun~c;di;';'&e°i,eaUr« 


CHAPTER  VI. 


.  Collin'i  Museum  of  Indian  Costn.nes,  Weanons  and  Palniln..     n^«^    i  » 
ures  on  the  Indian  Tribes-Names  of  Indians  WrCatHnl&;;^T^5*.*''.^~- 
luntmg  Fxcur8ionsamon<rtheIndii.n._<ilMf,  V  mL »1„"  '  "?' «/y.°^  Portraits.- 


Re.h  of  Dog.  «,rvd  asfood  at  their  Sr^ZtFeSvl"'""  '"*!  ''""''  "':•""  "^'^^ 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

Peraonal  Visit  to  some  Indian  Chiefs  at  New- York.— The  Sauks  .nrf  Pn»„  a: 

ing  Interest  of  MoSey.-Belief  that  the  Sn«  „™  hIT:!  !fl°f"  °^  J"'",'"""  "!f««- 
*nd  Arguments  of  Major  N^and  othera -Strtkl^  «^ 

Cuatom.  to  Jewish  Rites.-ReteXn  of%om«' f  ^«  dt^'^r'^'iV^  ""^^  "^  '^eir 
Hebraw..-Autl.orit,  of  Mr.  cXi^ ,%'P%(V^'n£^iS^cfT''':'''  °!  ')l 

CHAPTER  Vm. 

Benevolent  Institution,  of  the  Americans  -.Thi.  .  ..»  .  « 

tiona!  Policy.-AlmshouwforZpZrtinevue^KT*  ^?^'"S  »' «»•  Na- 
hour  on  Long  laland.-House  of  Refuge  forZuIu  telnv.^nH  r'T  '»'/'"'""''.'•  ^•- 
Insane  at  Bloomingdale.-Inslance.  if  fer(Kbus  Mann«  •  ?k"''^*"'''"™  ^*"'  '»>« 
Indifference  of  the  American  Editor,  to  .Teh  'hiS"rMVrd.r''nf^^^^ 
Legislature  by  the  Speaker.-Institution  for  theS«^  n  I  °/x?  Member  of  the 
of  the  Indians  to  thi.  In.litulion.-Brevo  ent  iSu^i,?^  «"' 
Hospital  on  Staten  laland.-Seaman's  R«treat  suDDort^v.^  .V-  p""*]*  "",'^V«"n''no 
-Seaman'.  Snug  Harbour,  for  the  MerS  Se?5lce-BI«Jl^'^?1''  "^  ""  ^tate. 
Seamen  continuel-Aaylu^  for  the  sEt  Belleiue  Amt  '*"o'"'''''"''°"»  '''«'' 
Society,  in  Foreign  Porta. -Salor-rMaSzine  and' SaiK^r^ 

CHAPTER  IX. 

**iK.i?lTetr,ttoWaS?^^^  '™5!!S  •'-?!?"  ••"  ^-^"J- 

eafted  for  Exportation.-DeZs  fX  Want  ar^  I^«^^^^^^^  ^'>«'o^<' 

of  foreign  Grain.-Rever.ion  of  the  oTdwof  Natmi^?  h?;~*r™*'^''"  Imporution 
thia  singular  State  of  Things.-Instance.  of  rK?  MnHlr.^T"  Z^'^^r.  '«**  "> 

pravity  of  Morals  m  the  Country.-Intemperance  and  WreS^  kL  S^'^*'- 


CONTKNTfl.  m 

Authentic  Proofi  of  thii  from  public  Recon1..-0pinioi«  ••  to  the  Chumm  of  no  much 
Depr.v,ty.-Exp.«uio.,  of  the  Progr««  of  Americ.  Krnh,ur.Mrn«„t-Kfl>eU  of 
these  C.uiee  on  the  general  Co...iiiion  of  Society  -Party  Miareprewn  ation.  »f  th. 
public  Freao-Taate  of  the  Populace  for  Showai,,.!  Sight.  -Ce?eS  of  the  A„* 
rnvtraary  of  £»KU.Uon-d.y.-be«:riplK)i,  of  ihi.  Ke.li».l  from  m  A^ini.n  Pen 

Pm«  100 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Court,  of  Law  heW  in  the  City  Hall.-Chancery,  Common  Pleas  Sunerior  anri 
preme  Courta.-gualiticalion.  of  Barriate.a  and  Attorney. -Nominairn^  An 
ppmtment  of  Judge.  -Style  of  Pleading  and  Judgment.  oB  Co^unJ  -Scale  o'f 
the'clw""rT«r^:'''H  m"";'  'he  Bench-Character  of  the  Med.ca  Profea^Si; 
the  City.-ChBrgy  and  Ministers  of  Religion  in  New- York. -Churrhe.  Interior  Ar 
rangements.  Comfort.-Service.  Singing.  Ab«.nce  of  Pulpits  snd  CiLk.  -Generai 
Character  for  Learning  and  Piety  of  the  Clergy.-Benevofcnl  Efforta  of  the  VoTun 
tary  Sy.tem.-Exten.r»e  Field  of  Mis.ionary'Lbour  m  Foreign  Cd^    ^  ^.  ?27 

CHAPTER  XI. 

®ri?i™  ^'>"'"'»  ■"'J  ">e  Art.  in  the  City.-Common  Schools.-St.tistlf.  of  Edu. 
cation—Nevvspapflrs  and  Periodical  Publlcations.-The  Knickerbocker -MonthW 
&.T~M7•/'''^'^*'T*■  ^^-  ^'  Hawks.-Super.ority  of  theTommo^S 
vXrT'^^I^T'^^  of  imitation  m  England.-Music  and  Painting-Mr.  Col^, 
Fictures— Architecture  and  the  Fine  Arts.-New-York  Churches.-Univer.itv-! 
-Astor  House.-HouM  of  Detention.-Buildinir  in  Eavotian  St[\e~Ca\am^l,./iiZ 

otriiung  i!.Hect  of  the  Massiveness  of  the  whole I39 

CHAPTER  XH. 

Peculiarities  in  the  Manners  and  Customs  of  New- York.— VisiU  between  Resident, 
and  Strangers-Carriages,  Servants.  Liveries,  &c.-W«nt  of  LwnT.  Num'XS  of 
Houses— Ffammg  of  Streets,  Bell-hangers  and  Locksmiths— Son»  of  Ch^nnev 
.weeps  m  the.r^ounds.-Excellent  MBde  of  observing  Newyear%ay -Love  of 
QuaintneM  and  Smfful.rity  of  Expres.ion.-E«mples xl  Anoouncement^and  edUo- 
nal  Paragraphs— Vi.it  to  Newark  with  Mr.  Webster— Instances  of  Wit.  Ch^rful- 

?r:,rfp"T''"'~*""''°!fo°f  *''-^«'«'"  "n-l  '=°'°'"ed  People-MemormJ  of 
coloured  People  against  mixed  Races.-Boarding-house  Life,  its  AdvantaBea  and  D^s 
Bdvant8ges.-Peculiarity  of  Expression,  Phrases!  &c  .        .       f '""'^"»««"* ""°  ^»- 

CHAPTER  Xni. 

Climate.  Weather,  Snows,  severe  Ccld.-Sleighing.  private  Sleighs,  Omnibuses  Carts 
—Peculiarities  of  American  Winters— Supposed  Periods  of  terVe««  for  «!'.k  «!' 
nes^-Series  of  severe  and  Series  of  mild'^Cters-The  preLnt  W  me?  of  IsS?  re" 
KlMs-Si^^'Ji^T-^^PP*"*"^  Commencement  of  a  mild^Serie  wi  h  this-Shipa 
Pn?.,  S»..  p^"'"'  comparison  with  Engli.h.-Naval  Expedition  destined  for  t?.e 
Polar  Seas.-Environs  of  New- York.  Brooklyn,  Long  IslanU-Staten  Island  New 
Brighton-Asbestos  Quarries.-Jersey  City,  Hoboken  Ferry,  excefent  Boats -PaS^ 
IZ^lX^n'r-^^'T^"^  T^"f  alishting-Separat'^'  AparUnents  for  Ladfes 
SSr  St..  fn  JS«»  v^  ^'J?'  ""''.f'Jfn'^^rtable  Accommodations  Vor  all— Last  Day  of 
our  Stay  in  New- York— Farewell  Lectures,  and  parting  with  Friends  —Visit  to  tha 

fmaS  ISl  f  A'o'fa&»r''[rr •='  "'  ">'  p4.  in  thrELrcS- vJl! 
v):  i7  P^  }^  "'  •  ™  "'^"  Mental  Improvement.- Preparations  for  leavimr  New. 
H^ldG^Sr  *'"'"'*  r"^  °"'  FeUow-boarders-Mutud'ly  strong  AttacaSfrn 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Voyaw  from  New. York  to  Amboy  by  Sleamboat.-Joumey  from  Ambor  to  Oatnrfm 
by  Hailroad-Crossingthe  Delaware  in  Ice-boat  to  Phnadelph"- Vis^to  the  Pm,? 
sylvaman  Convention,  then  sitting.-Nature,  Object,  and  Prreedings  of  ConvenS 
mvTeranTFtJ^?rP  "'  '"e  Arch-street  Theitre,  given  as  a  Publll:  WeSe  to 
SJ^f  if  ,K»  ^«"»'y--PfeparaUon8  and  Arrangements  for  the  Entertainment  -Ooin- 
ions  of  the  Press  on  the  Temperance  Festival— Departure  fi-om  PhMade  oh^'^hv 
Railroad  for  Baltimore-Halt  at  Wilmington— Deputation  head^bvJudM^Iall  - 

^eTA^r-'^^r '"V"  'ij'-,^'"?  4t««-Ar?ivairBaTti^o^'-TJmoel^ 
S!Ct,?i„5  vacjc—juurticy  by  ilaiiroad  to  Washington  .       .       ,       .    '  .   '    ."174 


V. 


vm 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


££"'i£?'"?^^^^^^  •'"I'  •-«»  'ho'  in  a  Duel 


Repre_se„tat.ves.     Leon^^^^^^^^ 

.V,'),!!:f.l'l'"«f«n-Leeter  on  the  Sub^.^'j^.V.!:!.*  r«-.Commence. 


"    •       •       •       •  Page  184 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


and  Appropriation  -Rfi?.V"7"y  ^"^ernment— Revenue   tJJL  V    ^-haracter.— 
« to  t^^e  lfe!So7So£?l3?"^''^  ^"^-"^  '4XW"^^^^^^^^^ 

196 


CHAPTER  XVH. 


■ncp  M..^^'  """""era,  Strangera,  and  VisTpV^M  T '*'"* '^  white  Ini 
fi,f^""""*''«-Cfreflt  Speeches  of  Mr  r.ii?~*^^'"''ers  "f  the  Senate 

urv  bT^T''  °"  '»'««« StB-TwoW°Sn«^^^V??'^  Preston  -ol 


ionable  ScJietv  at  W,^h?nV^"\'i«§«  "^  f-anSlstLe  of  fhl   "  °"  T^  ^cca- 
Mrs.  Wood-fto?iu  "/w8'u"-M»3ame  Carador   MllXr}    ^fne^land  fash- 

217 


CHAPTER  XVHI. 

.4 ■»        o  


arnving  in  Washinwnn  "^^""'"S  conferred  on  her  by  ConsteJ^     w^  ?  u^  '^'«  ^^^ 
Instances  of  P?Scv""w'"'""  of  wearing  Arms^-RefkiessTpi"*'^^?*"''^™^^ 


CONTENTS. 


lac 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Environs  of  Washington,  Scenery  and  Views.-Georgetown  older  in  D«t«  th.n  w..». 
Visit  to  the  Arsenal,  and  Description  of  t.— Visit  to  ihe  Nnw  varH  nf  Wo-St    . 

' Page  240 

CHAPTER  XX. 

^'i??M.^?"'?°'^J'"'*  agreeable  Intercourse  there.— History  of  the  First  Fonndation 

To  P«ti„n  rh«  P  -  ^"''^^u  '•y  I**™""  Cathohcs  of  Rank  and  Fortune.-Religious 
Toleration  the  Principle  of  these  Seltlers.-Kind  Treatment  and  Gratitude  of  the 

ifiri^,"n  VTf  r  T''""'"^'^^  ^'-  ^^y'^  «"'*  Annapolis.-EarrExisLnce  of  Ne«o  Slat 
^rX^  «r  M  Colony.-Origm  and  Cause  of  the^irst  Indian  War.-ProcressivTprMr 
penty  of  Maryland  as  a  State.-First  Foundation  of  the  Town  of  B-'^^^ %il^ 
Uontothe  Digmtyof  a  City  in  1796.-Effectsof  the  RevolutTo"  1^      TSJ^erity'"^ 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Topographical  Situation  of  Baltimore.— Finest  Points  of  Vinw  in  tho  v.„r.^^.     r. 
and  Plan  of  the City.-Private  Residence.  aTpSblL  Bridies -S?„e7^^^ 

in  the  latter.-Nightcells  open  to  constant  Supervision.— WorkshoM  for  th«  j.;?^ 
Lsbour  of  the  Convicts.- Produce  of  their  Work  susta  ns  the  InStion  -PUn  «^f 
Goveinment  and   ntemal  Ecoaomy.— Places  of  nnblir  Wnr«v     ;„  n-iV°         '",15' 
Catholic  Cathedral.  Beauties  indW^riKeonheiliteriJr'Z^^^^^ 
France -Unitarian  Church.  Exterior  and  Interior.-EpiscopalSn  PresESn  ,^J 
Baptist  Churches.-Medicd  College  for  Students.-BenevXn  Tnsmmiona  of  B«l?^ 
n.ore.-A8ylumat  Calverton.  Plan  and  Condition.-The  H^pKnder  °he  Cath^^^^^^ 
Sisters  of  Charity -The  Infirmary.  Illustration  of  Catholic 'zeT-DisMnsaJj  Or 
phan  Asylum,  Marine  Society  .-Penitent  Female  Refuge  Society  and  o?hera -B«l" 
imon  characterized  as  the  "  Monumental  City."- Washington  Wonumem^^nmn 
nnd  Statue.-The  Battle  Monument,  in  Monument  Square -The  Steid  Mom, 
ment,  near  the  City  Spring.-Fountains  or  enclosed  Springs  in  Balt^™,^  -The  CkJ 
Spring.-The  Western  Fountain.-The  Eastern  Fountain,  the  CeXe  Fountain - 
Pace,  of  public  Amusement.-Theatre,  Circus,  Concert  and  Ball  Rwm-MuMum 
public  Gardens,  Racecourse.-Municipal  Government.  ComiMrce  «nd  ShS-    ' 
Capacities  for  Trade,  Banks,  and  Insurknce-officw       .  ^°'^°'''^^'  «^  ^J^'^P"^*^ 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PopBlation  of  Baltimore,  white  and  coloured  Races.-Po8ition  of  Marvland  a*  •  «?l.,r«- 
8tate.-Maryland  Colonization  Society .-Severitv  of  the  Law  a«.in.?;f2!^,f!„  ai  *" 
-Vigilance  of  the  Postoffice  on  Abolition  Pubhcations  -GeSwarLilSr^hM  «  *''  - 
t  ment-Education  of  Coloured  Children.-NegroTeachers  -R^ 
their  Proportio„s.-Benefits  of  the  Voluntary  Syftem  orSupSrt.SSutions  for  thJ 
Promotion  of  Education—Death  of  the  Member  of  Congriw  for  Baltimore -Puhlir 
Funeral,  and  marks  of  general  Respect.-Eulogium  on  the  CharactPr  nf  .^^Z.«TS 

••••■.  264 

CHAPTER  XXm. 

ClMsification  of  the  varied  Population  of  the  City.-General  Characteri«iir.  _«!♦.*<. «/ 
Society  and  Manners-Supposed  Causes  of  the  rX  ™„r„f'TJ?.™il!.''-^.*!!iU 
caco  01  aepraveu  and  abandoned  Classes-Instances" ofrec'ent  Cu;;ai;e"«,d"cr^eit?: 


x> 


CONTENTS. 


.~£ru?;To"  El?tJ.^lr/.f  ?/^^^^^^^^^  of  BaUf^ore  Soclet, 

pernicious  and  oflfen.ive  Practice°-lSKo  SoS.el^  bv  fh„  "T^^r".  ^«"'"='«  "^ '^ii 
toL-Growing  opmio„  against  ihe  Uac  orT^acco  1^''.?,,  ^^^"'?  °/>""'^  »»«>  Capi- 
^' 8'»'«-Exhau8iion  of  the  Soil  in  V  rS .nH  M  ?''"? "^A'''' "o*'"" ^eid 
So^hern  Men  and  Slaveboldeni.-InconZency  of  ^.^/2."'^~'^'?P"!?''  ^PP««»  »» 
•ubject-Public  Saleof  Appropriated  Safer  ArLv.^PSI"'*""*'  *^»"/  «»>  'hi. 
of  many  of  theae  E-tatee-IVbhcLabwira  of  Ih^M^Sll/f^'T®*"'"'"  "'''»«» 
Law.-lnpnaonmeDt  for  Debt-WearinKWeanlS,.    "''""*  Legialature.-Regiatry 

e      <i«lHiiw    .....  Page  898 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

."^"Air^ftt^^^^  S  Education  of  WilHa™  Penn. 

England  -AflTectionate  Farewell  to  h^Settte^nt  ^^  ff  f'Ph«-Penn'.  Return  to 
tion  of  Youth.—Penn  deorivi^  nf  i?i.  S""*™*™-— "«t  Institution  lor  the  Educa. 
of  Jolw  Locke  tfJZM%^rsLRU?o^ZTTp^  Rfy'Warrant.-Friend.hJ 
meni-lllneasand  Death  of  Peni  J}^S"^?'./''""  '«  »"•  Proprietary  Govern. 
*ani.. -Declaration  of  American  indeSn^  in  PhiSH''?l'>"'li'"*'y  in  Pennayl- 
•ylvania  in  Wealth  and  PopulationSreSn  of^hi  s»*  '*'''""T'^I°«"«'  «>^  P«n- 
wurcea-Towna,  M«.ufac'turesrL,dtelic''irp;?vl,me?u'  '" '"  ^"°*^  *"''  ««■ 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


a^!rL^S:ro„«rfSP«^^ 

OT  I|Hlependence  h2K.!1!tT^' mHwiK^^^^^^^^  ^y*^"'?'''' -OW  State  CK 
Phiadelphiaa.Worh.of  Art.-Bann^heU„^?£?s.^^  Po.toffice.-The  Bank,  of 
-Girard  Bank  and  Philadelphia  Bank/^Cor^ntS-'M?!;?^^^^^^^  of  the  Parthenon. 
Ionic  Temple  at  Jlvesu..— tniver«itv  of  Phii^^i  u^"'  P^  ""e  United  State..— 
tpmical  Mo'seum,  and  Ph  loJoSlpIratS. -G&  ^T"  ■"<l.P™«'e«-Ana. 
tioj..  Description  of  the  Building  by  tKS^_Th«  wil!**'  ^T"  'S'^  ''°"'"'«- 
-Market.  of  Philadelphia,  SoppL-The  Nav7«rH  ?'^'''?l''''i'  ^'" Mount. 
.yhaB».-Vww.  of  the  Cky  on  .KicWnJ  irSif.  rI;;^^-^'"*  ^^»  P*""" 


CHAPTE]|  XXVI. 


■^  -^ 


Prirai.  of  RelbfmaHon  in  Philadelphia.— Visitlii  ih«-p,j.~^  r« 
and  Condition  of  thi.  EstablishmZ -StatL  fc.  of^vlm  °^  ^T'"""'""«f--St»to 
inanection  of  the  Convict,  at  their  Labour  iffitfofS„m.!!i'r"'2*«'«--P«"™''» 
Labonr.-Benefit.  <rf  Solitary  Confinement  with  r  «hnn,  ^P^  Confinement  without 
or  State  Priiwn.-Statistic.  of  CnmTmdDketB^tt^J~J^^  ^.?*^™  Penitentiary 
Foreigners,  and  white  and  coloured  Race. -Churrh^Vl^^.PS'Vr'  °'  Native,  ari 
-Religiou.  Sect.,  and  their  comparS  Number,  ^.^r^^^^  •»«' "«w- 

public  and  private.-Report  on  the  State  nf^.?^i".^"~^n^*^™*  f*""  Education. 
Ml  Society Jnd  Athen«L  -Hi.toric«^'£lS^'=S '"  P«'""y"«ni?r-P''ilo.ophi: 
Secretarv,  Mr.  John  Vaugh8n.-Chararteri«t^? Lett^ „f  n*"*'"?T;^''"»«=»«' <>»  ". 
of  Franklin  in  PbiladelplJa.-EpS  iKLloh  rLfJS*"^^  Franklin.-Torab 
Academy  of  Science..-New  Eum.-Kc.l  .liS^y|r'i"Sh''"jl°«"'"'«^ 
Public  Squares  for  Promen.de..-NewTpapSrPeri^1cXiSfi5^^^^^^^ 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


crease  from  I790.-Proportbn  of  SitelVcofo^jS Ta^N^'""""'  gradual^/?: 
and  Females  in  each.-froportion  of  Death.  tnih^»Li„Sf''":^'**P'''*'°"  "^  Males 
ciety  Aristocracy  of  Birth  SndWea.^-MddleClas.^of  rZ*'*.V^''""'"  "^  So. 
from  the  Bar  to  the  Bench  of  Pennsylvania-Gen^™?  Anni!^™*  Society.-Dinncr 
-Manners  of  Philadelphia  SocieT_W?MchedS  rf/rf  ^r'""  ?{'^^^  Inhabitants. 
— Individua  Cases  of  ratrema  Dkt™.;  nli?  ^"""'"o"  "f  some  labouring  Classes, 
tributable  to  increasing  We3fh.-&7t£nora  «  ?f  ff " V^  .BenevoleLe.-!!? ?: 
■ontficnt  Leg«:i«.icontra.t  of  thffirgS.^  ^  Dyii?  Society.-Instances^f 


CONTXNT 


xi 


CHAPTER  XIYm. 


Anti-BboJitioii  Riot  at  Philadelphia. -Opening  of  Pennaylrania  HalL-.Atf.,.ii  «<•  n.- 
Mob  on  the  Building.-  DemSl.t.oa  ortho  Hall  brFir-^^tatemenT.  of  i^^  Ibn? 
Print.  -Addmonal  facta  from  private  Sourees.-Continued  ActTof  Rio  Jnd  ^^r 
der.-Public  Meeting  of  the  Firemen  of  Philad6phia.~Apathy  and  Tardine..  of  T-' 

••■•••.  rage  369 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

BdiieTOlcnt  Institutiona  of  Phi!adelphia.-School  for  the  Instruction  of  the  Blind  -HTn 
fiSi  f„T'"'  "^  t"  Englishman-Description  of  the  Ins™  ukl,  and  pS-SS-* 
Fffl  ./n"^^*"*.^''^^?"'^  Music-Publication  of  the  Blind  Student's  Maiazine- 
EffecU  produced  by  this  excellent  Work.-Remarkable  Improvemen  of  an  Jd^^Z 
Specimen?  of  Coraposition  by  the  Blinrt.-Asylum  for  the  D^af  and  D  imht^r..,^^ 
pSL'o  0/."^"!'" Il  Magnetism-Otility  'of  the  Di«ovSe,  groSg  o^'^of  U - 
5  adSmb  bL  eL.^.i!"™''  \V1''S  '"fluence.-Uramatic  Effect,  on  the  m  nd 
r?i.-..  .  .J^"7,*^'i*"y  remarkable  Influence  on  young  Girl..— Entire  ChanoA  of 
p^^'.'*i'*L.'",'*'^  ^*^*'",'='  of  one.-lnsensibility  to  Pain  durSe  m.Rnetic  Slin  f 
Remarkable  Instance  of  nervous  Insensibility.isusgical  operition  wrforrn^  wiZ^ 

pt-B^srrsit?afio"rt\rr^T" '''^^^^ 

lishment -S  LtLir»  nf  ,h»  P ''*  Building.-Extent  and  Completeness  of  the  Estab. 
Knw-K^eHol^^^^^  Luna  .c8.-Cost  of  the  Institution  and  annual 

*  "  •  •  •  .    Jol 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

History  and  De«cription  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital.  -  Statistic,  of  it.  ?•»■-«♦. 

Sf'lhe"ln^o'^""°"''«"°""«»  °^'^«  i2BtablishU.-TStmrLdC?na 
*      •• 390 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
CHAPTER  XXXII. 


xu 


CONTENTS. 


J,  .  CHAl  i'ER  XXXIir 

■       •       •       •       •  Page  431 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


Sounds  of  the  Oh^mnL     ^™nqu«l'"y  of  the  Streets  of  pSfi7;T''"^'"''»'>8  of 
rfelive,edi„PhiL5S"'*P.r-S™"''E^«""nVP^^^^^^^^ 

Comparison  of  SJ  fj«^'"e««.-SubstituUo„  of  C^^^^ 

•        .  436 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


V^BBB^^S^-^^^IZ'SSSi-;,^'^ 


Elizabethtown,  Newark  and  R^fhT'^"^'*^*  "'<">«  'he  Straits  X^iJ^^T^'^- 

.453 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


— Herschel's  Thenrv  nf Vho  c     .      •~""°"al  breakins  awav  nf  iVi»  vV,     j®  ~*'™'=*» 

01  oteam  Navigation.— A ff«rHn»i»*i'2,'?  Appearance  of  thn  ri».     o^  •      P^' 
in*  at  Albany.  ^dTomfmab'lelomT!'"'  °f  ^"''°"'«  l^-perimS  vftre  i'ffl 

.  459 


AMERICA, 

HISTORICAL,  STATISTICAL.  AND  DESCRIPTIVE. 


CHAPTER  L 

StatM  and  Territories  exaniii^_FWmorN«mt.?J!^  "^  ">«  ••""•l 

torica  and  atatisticd  Sketch^lendTwkh  thfaT-Q^S^'"  I'««n?«on.-Hi.. 
m  erne,  and  State..-Pic.„re,  of  Ma^.e^'anfeS^'i^po^r^'S^^ 

exammmg  for  myself  the  most  favoured  portion  of  thJ 
New.  I  had  once  visited  the  United  Stated  about  thilt^ 
years  ago,  just  after  the  period  when  the  S  "^^ 
Thomas  Moore,  had  passed  Thro^hThe  eoX^  td  ffi 
the  pleasure  to  mingle  in  many  of  the  circles  tWh^w 
livened  by  his  wit  and  ench^ted  by  hrterse  •  w  ^  ^"" 
that  period,  1808  ud  to  18^7  oil  ».„     "^.^^P^-  but  from 

in  th'e  Easlerrhe^pV^eJ''!^^^^^^  »>-n 

to  me  at  least,  to  be  "a  sekled  foLai^  »  of  wIT^'^^^^ 
I  longed  the  more  ardently  to  drhJk       '  ^°'^  ""**"* 

At  the  close  of  my  Parliamentary  labours  in  1837    «ri,o« 

my  retirement  to  make  a  second  visit  to  Ameia  i^th  tK^ 
intention  of  devoting  at  Ipaat  th^^^T       ^merica,  with  the 

nm,a«,nno^,,,ht^*:"'*®'*  ^^^^^.^^  t^erc  appeared  defects  or 
.,  ,vh.cu  u,  more  patient,  more  dUigent,  and  more 


>'imgMm"  ,u*»»<> 


H 


INTRODUCTORY. 


impartial  examination  of  the  country  and  its  inhabitanfn 
might  supply.  In  some  of  the  English  writers  there  w^an 
evident  determination  to  seek  only  for  blemishes   TiS  ^n 

stirong  political  bias,  hostile  to  everything  connected  with 
the  very  name  of  a  republic ;  causing  them  to  see  evemhTn? 
therefore,  through  a  jaundiced  medium.  In  some' aS 
there  was  an  elaboration  of  disquisition  on  a  few  promiW 
features  of  the  national  character  and  national  institutrns 

t^t  cT^tT? ""P?  •"'  "t»*'°'  °^  ™^"»^«'  »>»*  "°t  less  impor! 
tant  details;  and  m  others,  a  substitution  of  fictitious  and 

iTeTpn?  T^''  ^^'  H'^'  '^^'^'  ^^^^^^"^  it  might  dLpla? 
the  telent  of  the  writers  for  invention  and  broadly  exaewra- 
ted  humour,  could  only  mislead  the  reader  as  fo^Kil 

:lnL°?nTct'ier3.^''  ^^^^^^^  ^°  ""^"^^^^^^^  --«P- 

ahS^'T  f.*?"™^'??  J°  rayself  the  possession  of  greater 
abihties  for  this  task  than  those  who  h^e  gone  beforf  me  I 
venture  to  beUeve  that  I  have  at  least  enjSyed  superio^ad- 
voltages  10  most  of  my  predecessors ;  and  trthesralone  I 
am  anxious  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  reader,  as  he  tdll 
Bee  m  them  abundant  reasons  why  I  should  be  likelv  to 
escape  many,  at  least,  of  the  defects  and  omissions  pointed 
out  m  others  It  is  an  advantage  which  the  latest  travX 
m  any  country  enjoys,  that  the  errors  of  his  pioneers  serve 
as  so  many  beacons  and  landmarks,  by  which  he  may  be  at 

«.%  ?  ?  ™^  ^^y^""^  "P^*'^'*^  privileges  which  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  enjoy,  and  by  which  I  endeavoured,  at  leit! 
to  profit  on  every  occasion,  to  acquire  as  extensive  ind  accul 
rate  mformation  as  I  could  on  all  the  subjects  of  my  inquiry. 
Haymg  designed  from  the  first  to  make  some  stay  m  al 
the  prmcipal  cities  and  towns  of  the  country,  I  proposed  to 
occupy  the  mornings  in  active  examination  of  all  the  objects 
accessible  to  my  research,  and  to  devote  the  evenings  to  the 
dehvery  of  my  courses  of  Lectures  on  the  SeriptSral  and 

fcri  '^^'T  ?u  xf  ^?i; '  '"  *^^*  *^«  acquisition  of 
know  edge  as  to  the  New  World  for  my  own  delight,  and 
tne  diffusion  of  information  respecting  the  Old  World  for 
the  gratification  of  others,  blended  happily  together :  and 
he  latter  occupation  assisted  the  former  in  i  grfater  de^ee 
ftn!^  th""?  r^""^  anticipated  or  thought  possible.    In  every 

XZ^^  ^^""^'J  ""•  ™y  ^r^""^^  ^''^"g^t  "«"nd  me,  in  the 
Shortest  space  of  time,  all  the  most  intellectual  portion  of 
society:  and  as  these  sought  my  acquaintance  by  introduc- 


INTKODtTCTOEY.  }^ 

tion,  8ome  for  the  purpose  of  extending  their  inquiries  as  to 
the  subjects  described,  and  others  to  offer,  by  their  hospi- 
tality, some  return  for  the  pleasure  they  professed  to  have 
received,  I  was  brought  into  personal  and  intimate  commu- 
nion virith  the  very  best  portion  of  the  community,  whether 
tested  by  the  standards  of  learning,  morality,  manners,  in- 
fluence, or  wealth  ;  and  nothing  could  exceed  the  frankness 
and  kindness  with  which  all  theur  resources  of  information 
were  placed  at  my  disposal. 

The  interest  which  I  had  been  known  to  take  in  England 
m  the  cause  of  temperance,  education,  the  condition  of  sea- 
men,  the  improvement  of  the  working  classes,  unfettered 
commerce,  and  universal  peace,  occasioned  very  early  ap- 
plications to  be  made  to  me  by  the  various  philanthropic 
societies,  with  which  the- United  States  happily  abound,  to 
take  a  part  in  the  proceedings  of  their  public  meetings,  to 
examine  the  working  of  their  several  institutions,  and  to  offer 
my  unreserved  opinion  as  to  their  merits  or  defects.     This 
of  course  gave  me  as  frequent  opportunities  to  examine  the 
condition  of  society  among  the  middle  and  inferior  classes 
as  my  Lectures  afforded  me  of  mixing  with  the  higher;  and, 
taking  both  together,  I  may  safely  affirm  that  my  Lectures 
were  heard  and  read  by  not  less  than  a  miUion  of  persons 
during  my  stay  in  America ;  from  the  elite  of  whom  I  re- 
ceived the  most  cordial  attention,  in  private  as  well  as  in 
public ;  and  in  assisting  the  various  philanthropic  objects 
enumerated  there  could  be  hardly  less  than  a  mUlion  more, 
by  whom  my  addresses  at  their  public  meetings  were  heard 
and  read  m  every  part  of  the  Union,  from  Maine  to  Louisi- 
ana, and  from  the  Atlantic  shore  to  the  regions  beyond  the 
Mississippi. 

'  If  the  mingling  so  intimately  with  all  classes  in  the  cities 
and  towns  be  regarded  as  an  advantage,  the  extensive  range 
of  my  track  over  the  surface  of  the  interior  of  the  country 
was  scarcely  less  so.     This  embraced,  it  is  believed,  a  great- 
er number  of  states  and  territories  than  had  ever  before 
been  traversed,  and  a  more  thorough  examination  of  each 
than  had  yet  been  made  by  any  single  traveller,  European 
or  American ;  my  journeys  havi;ig  carried  me  through  ev- 
ery state  and  territory  in  the  Union  except  two,  and  these 
the  least  settled  and  least  interesting  in  every  point  of  view, 
namely,  the  State  of  Arkansas  and  the  Territory  of  Florida. 
We  were,  indeed,  close  on  the  borders  of  each;  but  one  was 
umnvitingfrom  the  unhealthiness  of  its  climate  in  the  season 
at  which  we  vrcre  near  it,  and  the  other  was  inaccessiblo 


ii 


INTROBirClORr. 


I  I 


their  pursuers.  V:L^^Zlt:T±'''''T'  "^^ 
nous  directions,  the  states  of  Cnr  Npw  r  ^"^^'1^^  *"  ^»- 
mont,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  IsIanr-nnnr^^^Pi^^'^'  ^^'' 
New. Jersey,  Pennsylvania  nlio  '  ^^'""ecticut,  New- York, 
North  Carol  na,  Src^oJi^a  «  "''-^Yr^"^*^'  V^'gi»« 
ana,  Mississipp  ,  TeL^fw,  t'^'^r^u^^^^^'"^'  ^^'^i' 
nois,  MissourfwT^SnsTn  i„^^^^  ^"**'^^'  1"^" 

the  great  lake^  Mich  gSuron  Erl  '"^'S"'  l^^^^g^ting 
cing  the  whole  county  betwPPn  v  '  A"?  ^"*"'°'  ^^^bra- 
of  Mexico,  to  Que^e^on IrGulTTf" S^""'  °"  **^^  «"^ 
terminating  with  the  British  provSeef  of  U^„!^^^^^  ^^ 
Canada,  Nova  Scotia  Npw  BrTvr?  ^  ?  PP®'  ^^  ^«>^er 
territory  on  the  bounHfltT  J!'"'*'^'  *"^  **»e  disputed 
AmericLpossessior^"^""  *^'^^^"  *^«  British^  and 

whh  :S1te:  ot  sotTfn7a'^^^^^^^^^^^     -/-course 

traversed,  but  with  frequeminterval^f^^^^  ""^  T'^'^y 

amination  in  detail,  may  be  £.nnl«i!i°     *^*'/"**  ^"^^"^  ex- 
not  overrate  the  vklue  nf  n  t       f -3     ''*'"^-' '  *^^»^  I  do 
too  highly  when  I  ^%:  i'  ^ZtT  °^  «?«'^o»«triea 
tate  standards  of  compSson  tLn        .i"u  ""'**'  '"^^  «°c"- 
sons  acquainted  on^wTt^h  '^0:^"^^^^  Sff  ^^  »>y  P- 
the  very  fact  of  my  having  thus  iT^d  kr  t^^"^^  '""^' 
among  various  nations,  differin/from  i«Ph  ^^  "^^yj^^^ 
government,  language  mora  «   nnTr«        ^^'  '"  '^^^S^O"* 
fail  to  soften  thofT  na^io'd  treji?^^^^^^  ^-% 

of  every  country  are  too  much  Csed  to  «»"  ^^  ^^""^^ 
institutions  and  manners  as  «n  ^it?  f-  ^^,"-  *^«"^  own 
all  such  as  difFerTm  hem  t  wnffh?°°'  ^"/  ^'^  ^^"^""''^ 
I  was  thus,  I  venture  to  be^e^eZSH't'"^  contemptible, 
a  more  catholic  spirit  of  SiZv  th  '^^f^  th»ng«  with 
those  to  do  who  have  not  h^S^K  •    ^  *^^"  "  '»  possible  for 

the  United  steTZ  .^LTr'f'dTnV'''''  '"'  "°*  "» 
tages  than  hwe  been  enjo^i^brtil  mh  greater  ad™,, 
ing  the  weieht  of  mv  v^»  t^-.  '  °''"'">  ^  a™  increas- 
«xlc„.i„n  *Thh  "^mSaVt^'y  '°  P?"""  "P^on  for  io, 
shrink  from  it-  bS  tTZhl    1'    ""^  '  ''°  »<"  'herefore 

will  be  neceiiilyllSelt  fo™  1°  j'""  ^■"'«"^"'  " 
ion  as  to  whether  it  n^^ll,„?  I     .[     '  ?"""  accurate  opin- 

be  permitted  to  smeSSSIlf'  "i"  ™''  "  P'»P<««»'  I  -"ay 
deaWd  to  oUtruct^r  '     '  '''°"  °"  ""''=''  ^  "«'«  «»• 


r^=t 


%'■ 


IMTRODVOTOKT. 


tt 


,^4  f*^^"«b«ok«  of  travels  for  myself,  I  have  always  de- 
•ured  to  be  placed  by  the  author,  as  much  as  possible/in  his 
own  situation ;  to  be  brought,  in  short,  by  his  descriptfoM! 
as  nearly  as  can  be,  to  the  condition  of  being  his  travelling 
companion ;  to  see  things  in  the  same  order  of  successioS 
as  he  hunse^  saw  them;  to  be  made  acquainted  with  the 
minuter  incidents  of  his  life,  as  well  as  with  the  more  prom! 
ment ;  to  become  famiUar  with  the  inconveniences  to  which 

to  n.1^  J^fK-'*'.^.'''^"  ?'  "^''^  *^«  P»«««"'e«  he  enjoyed: 
to  partake  of  his  indignation  at  the  wrong,  as  fully  as  with 

ent  wlThT^"  °^  \»f«  «8ht ;  to  be,  in  shortf continu^y  pTeS 
h?mT„     uZ  "*•  ^^  ^«/^"««it"de8,  and  to  sympathize *with 

dZT  ^    V""^^  ^"^  t'^^'^""''  ^y  whatever  cause  pro- 
duced.     For  this  reason  I  have  always  preferred  the  fSrra 
of  the  actual  diary,  in  which  the  incidents  and  feelings  are 
transferred  to  paper  while  fresh  and  new.     But  as  I  h^ve 
myself  when  residing  in  any  country,  state,  or  city,  a  stromr 
desnre  to  know  at  least  the  prominent  parti  of  the^  hiS 
and  progress  as  far  as  they  can  be  traced,  so  I  desirTthS 
others  shall  share  the  pleasure  of  my  investigations  in  this 
respect,  and  such  brief  historical  sketches  arf  accordinrfy 
introduced.    But  as  the  actual  condition  of  things  is  of  feJ 
greater  importance  than  the  past,  especiaUy  in  a  new  and 
rismg  country  like  the  United  States,  this^porttonTf^e 
subject  has  been  most  elaborately  treated  in  every  cle,  Jnd 
wll  be  found  to  embrace  ample  details  of  the  tjpogr^phy, 
pubhc  and  private  buildings,  institutions,  manufactu^rcom 
merce,  population,  mamiers,  customs,  and  peculiariti^^f 
aU  the  cities  and  towns ;  whUe  in  the  provmces,  the  general 
character  of  the  soU  and  country,  its  scenery,  chmai,^ 
productions,  statistics  of  area,  comparative  fTrtUity,  popS 

ti?;!  ?Tt'  P"^^'°  ^^'''''  ^^  fi"^»°i^  conditioS,  have 
the  greatest  share  of  attention  bestowed  on  them 

eauallf  Tol^nr'',!^^^?-^^?  *°  "^^'^  P"*  o^  th«  ''^"ntry 
cJ^nn^lt  f  P°^'*'f •  ^"«t^t»tions,  religion,  morals,  edu- 
wlffi  \  ^^Tl  '"^'"^  intercourse,  and  domestic  relations, 
TnH  »!,""'*  ^^  u^  T'*  frequently  described  and  discussed 
and  wherever  it  has  been  practicable  to  corroborate  my  own 
w  %  ?u"^*'''^  authorities,  whether  among  the  populaV  wri* 
ters  of  the  country  or  from  their  public  journals,  I  have 

Sh"'"/  ^'7\  ''  ^^^^^  «°"^-«'  P-V  to  sVsfy  the 
English  reader  of  the  probable  soundness  o{  my  conclu- 

?s  noi  n"Ar''\*°  ^  u  *^"  ^'^'''"'^  '^^d^'  ^  «««  that  it 

Ln«  n?     f  "^-^^^  otherwise  suppose,  the  erroneous  impres- 

Vol  "r-lc""*  auinonty  mey  are  peculiarly 


18 


INTROfiUCTORf. 


m 


jealoua  ill  matters  of  national  concern,  but  the  deliberate 
conviction  of  some  of  the  leading  public  miters  of  therown 
country  against  whkh  no  such  objection  can  be  rS 

It  will  be  inferred  from  this  that  my  views  of  American 
institutions  and  manners  are  not  always  of  the  most  favour- 
able  kmd:  and  this  I  am  ready  to  avow.    I  visited  the 
country  neither  predisposed  to  admire  nor  condemn ;  bS 
most  smcerely  desurous  of  seeing  the  actual  condition  of 
things,  and  most  firmly  resolved  to  describe  them  as  thev 
appeared  to  me,  whether  for  good  or  for  evil.     To  supp^^ 
that  I  may  not  m  some  cases  have  received  imperfect  ii^ 
pressions,  and  in  others  have  formed  erroneous  cLcSo^ 
would  be  to  suppose  a  freedom  from  the  ordinar^  frS  and 
falhbihty  of  mortals.     To  such  an  exemption  I^pe  I  luW 
be  the  last  to  make  any  claim.     But  this,  at  least  I  can  aa 
sert  with  confidence,  that  I  have  always 'endeavoured  to  L-' 
vestigate  carefully  the  facts  placed  within  my  reacSTthaU 
iMve  been  quite  as  anxious  to  form  correct  deductions  from 
these  when  ascertamed ;  and  never  having  indulged  the  na- 
tional  antipathy  towards  foreigners  which  has  always  Teem- 
ed  so  offensive  to  me  in  the  writings  of  too  many  of  mv 

^rr^""**'^^"'/  r  "°*  conscious  of  having  been  influ- 
enced by  such  a  feelmg  in  any  censures  which  I  may  have 
felt  It  right  to  express.  From  the  peculiarly  quick  sen2 
tivene^  of  the  American  people  to  the  censures  of  foreign- 

HLh  K°^^"?^^'''^r*  ^**°^^^  °**»«'«'  I  have  no  doubt 
I  shall  be  condemned  by  many  of  the  party  journals  in  that 

country  for  some  of  the  observations  which  I  felt  i?  my  duty 
to  make  on  subjects  connected  with  their  institutions  anS 

froTr '  "^^'h  °"  *^"  ^^^'  ^^"^'  ^  ^^P««t  «« little  justice 
from  the  party  journals  of  my  own  country,  who  will  con- 
demn me  perhaps  as  fiercely  for  the  eulogies  I  fed  boZd 

wirlH  !f  .  States  over  most  of  the  countries  of  the  6ld 
honp  t  ^  A^^^l  ^^^^^  ^'^^  extremes  I  shaU,  however, 
nope  to  find,  m  the  moderate  and  impartial  judgment  of 
those  who  love  truth  wherever  it  is  to  be  fouid,^d  who 
^mk  It  as  much  a  duty  to  condemn  what  is  evU  as  to  prSe 
wnat  18  good,  a  sufficient  counterbalance  to  the  severity  of 

ptTtTeTplcT '°''  ^^'"  °'  ^'^  ^^^^"^^^  -^^^  I  -  p- 

On  one  other  topic  I  may  venture  to  say  a  word  or  two 
m  explanation.      Throughoit  the  United  States  the  com! 

hlvf  K  ^^?J  "u"'^'-"'^^'  '^^''  ^"gli^l^  travellers  especiaUy 
have  abused  the  hospitality  of  some  and  betrayed  the  con^ 


r^tsisaumtmuM^i} 


PARTUHl   FROM  BNOLANo: 


19 


fidence  of  othew,  by  making  public  what  was  never  intend- 
ed or  thought  likely  to  be  so  exposed,  and  much  bitterness 
of  disappointment  and  anger  of  feeling  has  been  occasioned 
thereby.     There  is,  unfortunately,  too  much  of  truth  in  the 
accusation,  though  the  English  are  not  more  in  fault  in  this 
betrayal  of  confidence  and  abuse  of  hospitality  than  some 
Ainencan  travellers  who  have  visited  and  described  Eng- 
land.    But  in  both  it  is  no  doubt  an  offence  that  deserves 
to  be  pumshed  with  public  censure;  first,  for  its  injustice 
and  injpratitude ;  and  next,  because  it  has  a  tendency  to 
lessen  the  disposition  of  even  the  most  generous  and  high- 
minded  in  each  country  to  extend  their  hospitality  and  at- 
tentions to  the  citizens  of  the  other.     I  hope  and  believe  that 
I  have  avoided  this  evil ;  I  am  sure,  at  least,  that  I  have  ear- 
Mstly  endeavoured  to  do  so ;  and  remembering,  as  I  shall 
always  be  prompt  and  proud  to  do,  the  many  warm  and  af- 
fecuonate  friendships  I  had  the  happiness  to  form  amonir 
the  American  people,  I  should  feel  the  deepest  regret  if  any- 
thmg  to  which  I  gave  pubUcity  respecting  their  country  or 
themselves  should  weaken  our  reciprocal  regard,  or  render 
my  name  and  memory  less  revered  among  them  or  their 
children  than  it  has  hitherto  had  the  honour  and  jrood  for. 
tune  to  be.  * 


m 


CHAPTER  II. 

Departure  from  England.— Anivtl  at  New-York.— Addreaa  to  the  American  PnMi.. ... 
S'pnhlio'^Kif  1?»-|^^""'»  9""'!^  °f  J^^"""  dehvSJed^i  the  cft;.^AftSdfnct 
Nev,.Y^?pilcf  t^S^^°}S'*\'^^^-i^V]^'"^  »'«'«  TemJ,Snce  Sty  - 
ySa  Ckv  T«J?  s!S^w^-";i5!'f'?i?  ?"  '•>•  g"W««t  <rf  Public  feducation.-New. 

g^at  r  T  T^ract  Society-— Total  Abstinence  Society.— Ladies  Meetini  for  the  Or. 
^i?..^™l  »    T'I''**?'  ?'  '?•  ''"•"'*•  of  Sailors'  rfomes.-Vi." To  om  of  tto  E^ 
m^^^r^ul  "i^  iMUtutioa-Admirable  Arrangement  for  Uie  Comforts  of  S wl 
men.-PolUical  Excursion  to  Newark  with  the  Horn  Daniel  WehStm  -V^iit  S  pSi 
ingplaceaatthe  Time  of  Election-Legal  «k1  C  Wal^plll?ierilnSu Jul  SoilS 

^  It  was  on  the  7th  of  September,  1837,  that  we  left  Lon- 
don for  New-York.  The  packet-ship  in  which  we  had  en- 
gaged cabins  was  the  President,  Captain  Chadwick ;  and 
our  pwty  consisted  of  Mrs.  Buckingham,  my  youngest  son, 
then  about  twelve  years  of  age,  and  mystelf.  We  were  ac- 
companied to  the  ship  by  the  other  members  of  our  famUy 
and  friends,  and  the  prospect  of  so  long  a  separation  aa 

„ :  !^,   ^^"'viM^^itticu  uiuuu  our  aaieus  more  limn 

usually  pamful. 


5 


D'iring  i,v0  »»'diot 


down 


thAMii/hrnftk  u  ''~  ?"  7r""  ""'  ^'i'«h  Channel, 
of  Albion"  exc-ited  reooUectK,n8  of  the  joy  .vuh  ".ioh  I 
hailed  I  i«n  «x  my  la«t  return  from  exile,  thacolr/^td 
powerf.,))y  with  U.e  opposite  emotu..  with  wf fch  Cw  Le^ 
held  them   hA^  i.om  my  veiw ;  a.   '  this  fo,md  vent  L 

L  whr„hT"*'  ^  ^''^  ^"«i-i«ntly  indicate  the  fran.«t)f  Snd 
w  which  they  \*tet«  |/fc,m«d.* 

There  was  nothing  oi     efficient  interest  or  novelty  in  the 
sea-voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  nothing  peculiar  inUii  shin 

oJ  o^'  ?rr'"*'  "°*''^«  ^"«"  ^"  ^^«  «^t>«  or  charts 
of  our  fellow.passengers,  to  require  any  special  noUce:  and. 

?rc5M"r*M'"^'^r  °^  domestic  Liety  and  books?^' 
full  of  dehght  everywhere,  but  especially  when  cut  off  from 
the  world  m  the  comparative  solitude  of  the  occm  thZ 
was  nothing  beyond  the  common  incidents  or  pSres  of  • 
an  ordinary  sea-voyage.  ««i"cb  u» 

i^^^J'^F  ^"^  °^  ™°'^  *^^"  "«"^  length,  occupying 
forty-three  days  the  general  average  of  outwid  voja^ 
.  not  exceeding  thirty  davs.  We  ha^however,  a  great  prSv! 
alence  of  contrary  wini,  and  much  boisterous  LS  unp W 
ant  weather,  though  the  season  of  the  year  is  o^e  i^  S 
s  IS  n   *  very  common. 

It  wi».  an  the  19th  of  October  that  we  first  saw  the  Amer-    ' 
^an  co..t  a  part  of  Long  Island,  to  the  eastward  of  Newl 
York ,  and  soon  after  receiving  on  board  a  pilot,  we  made 
bva^nd^S  \^\^'««^«  f°r  '^he  entrance  ^of  the  harbou? 

pLI  ./     ''''^'  "^^'^^  "^^  '^^°^«d  ««ly  in  the  afternoon: 
Prom  thence  we  proceeded  up  through  the  Narrow/ to 

?lck        '''^'  *"^  '^'^''''^  °^  the^Battery  about  five 

It  is  difficult  to  speak  without  an  air  of  exaggeration  of 

W  Tfh  "^  '^l  '^"'*  ^'^P  ^r  *^^  -tranceTthX. 
«ZJn  the  anchcf^go-ground.  They  were,  however,  so 
numerous  and  so  encaanting,  that  my  only  reciet  was  at  the 
rapidity  with  which  we  paj^d  by  the  seCd  objects  tfat 
succeeded  each  other.  The  time  of  the  year  was  un  doubt- 
edly  favourable,  and  added  much  to  the%plenLr  of  the 
scene,  m  the  rich  autumnal  tints  with  which  the  foliage  on 

w  J  P^  'T"",*^"'^  ^^^  ™  ^'^^«d  5  «nd  the  time  of  day 
was  equally  advantageous,  as  it  was  just  before  the  full  glow 
of  a  western  sunset.     The  Narrows,  formed  by  the  neai-lv 

?Zr^";?  '^^  ^^  ^*"  ''  ^'^l^'i  °»  the  west  and  Long 
island  on  the  east,  is  01..9  t.    V  cnos*  strikingly  interesting 


seat 


r 


^UlRITAL  AT  raW-TORX. 


SI 


m- 


straits  of  entrance  that  can  be  conceived,  to  the  more  ex- 
panded harbour  into  which  it  opens;  and  its  beauty  is  much 
mcrer^ed  by  the  number  of  little  villas  scattered  ovei  the 
surface  of  the  hills  on  either  side,  contrasting  rheir  almost 
snowy  whiteness  with  the  rich  greens,  and  yellows,  and  scar- 
lets, and  browns  of  the  autumnal  foliage  in  which  mi.  ly  of 
them  are  imbosomed. 

As  we  advanced  upward  the  variety  of  the  scenery  pre- 
sented continual  charms,  and  the  first  sight  of  the  city  of 
New- York,  with  th  •.  lofty»spires  of  its  numerous  churches 
^^ising  from  ti.e  interwr  ,  the  tall  masts  of  its  crowded  fleets 
fringing  the  outline  of  the  entire  mass  of  houses,  while  dis- 
tinctive signals  n  !re  waving  from  the  greater  number  of  the 
masthewi^;  added  to  ships  of  war  forming  the  squadron 
now  iiLout  to  sail  on  an  exploring  expedition ;  the  opening 
views  of  the  East  River,  Long  Island,  and  Brooklyn,  which 
lie  to  the  right  of  New- York,  a»  you  look  towards  it  from  the 
south,  and  the  still  greater  expanse  of  the  noble  Hudson 
River  and  the  opposite  |;ity  q^  J%r8ey,  which  are  seen  to 
the  left  hand  or  on  the  west,  produced  a  coup  d'oeil  which 
few  seaports  could  parallel,  and  none  theil  IHbave  ever  enter* 
ed  could  surpass. 

Soon  aftef  anchoring  we  took  lea|g|iof  our  floating  resi- 
dence, and  landing'  at  the  Battery,  we  were  taken  to  one 
of  tlie  principal*  hotels  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Broadway, 
called  the  Mansion  House,  or  Bunker's,  where  we  found  ac- 
commodation for  the  night ;  but  being  unable  to  make  ar- 
rangements for  our  permanent  stay  there  for  want  of  room, 
we  took  up  our  quarters  at  the  adjoining  house,  which  was 
what  is  called  a  private  boarding*houserand  here  for  the 
present  we  made  our  home. 

As  we  remained  in  New-York  for  several  months,  and  jaa 
I  availed  myself  of  every  opportunity  that  presented  itself 
during  that  period  to  see  whatever  the  city  contained,  and 
to  mingle  as  much  as  possible  with  the  various  classes  of  its 
inhabitants,  I  sbnll  endeavour  to  condense  my  description 
of  th'  v\  ;.ole  into  a  general  and  continuous  picture,  embra- 
cing all  those  details  which  occupied  many  different  days  in 
collecting,  and  most  of  which  required  and  received  that 
subsequent  revision  which  time  and  re-examination  can 
alone  secure. 

Before  entering  on  this,  however,  T  may  offer  the  follow- 
mg  short  notice  of  my  own  labours,  as  those  which  were 
J"°8^*.JJ^stj^""iental  in  bringing  me  in  contact  with  the  most 
m.eixigcnt  anu  respcctubie  of  the  iiihubiittuw,  and  leading  to 


M 


STATE  OF  NEW-YORK. 


many  deiightful  friendships,  of  which  I  shall  lnn„  ol.„- 1. 
pleasing  and  grateful  remembrare  ^  "^"^^  " 

offnToducSr^hwSVh^dr'  t  ""■»--»  te'e" 

an  Address  on  this  subje™[*        ""  *^'"^  *'""  ^'^^'^  *«  ^««««^ 

My  courses  of  lectures  descriDtivp  of  !?«««♦      j  r.  i 
tine  were  soon  aftprwpr^   =«  ^      j      ^^^Pt  and  Pales- 

^rof^^eSK*  °™^-"^  -  -- - 

»Tdf  ii'thS.  TwivXh"'  ^V""^°"°'"«  oiaLswho«: 

Snl^Sty  Xfu&Gm^"  ^T."'  ';  *«  ■"'apel  of  t 

*  See  Appendix  No.  III.    e, 


PUBLIC  LECTU^'ES   AND   MEETINGS. 


same  mode  after  the  lecture  was  over.  The  lecture-room 
'  at  the  Brooklyn  Lyceum,  like  that  at  the  Stuyvesant  Insti- 
tute in  New- York,  is  built  in  the  form  of  the  old  Greek 
theatre,  semicircular,  with  the  ranges  of  seats  rising  in  suc- 
cession behind  each  other;  but,  though  Brooklyn  is  by 
much  the  smaller  place — the  population  of  New- York  being 
about  300,900,  and  that  of  Brooklyn  40,000— its  lecture- 
room  is  much  larger,  more  lofty,  better  proportioned,  and 
was  filled  every  night  by  a  larger  audience  than  had  yet  at- 
tended any  of  the  lectures  in  New-York,*  s 

At  the  termination  of  the  Brooklyn  course  I  was  still  far- 
ther detained  for  six  weeks  longer  in  New- York,  to  repeat 
my  course  on  Egypt  at  the  Stuyvesant  Institute ;  to  give  a 
second  course  on  Palestine  at  the  lecture-room  of  St.  Luke's 
Church  in  Hudson-street ;  and  a  third  course,  on  Egypt  and 
Palestine  combined,  at  the  Chatham-street  Chapel,  each  in 
different  quarters  of  the  city,  and  attended  by  different  class- 
es of  auditors :  that  at  the  Stuyvesant  averaging  600 ;  that 
at  St.  Luke's,  in  Hudson-street,  about  200;  and  that  in 
Chatham-street  Chapel  not  less  than  2000 ;  each  being  up  to 
the  fullest  capacity  of  the  respective  placeiJ  to  contain. 

Independently  of  these  labours  on  my  own  account,  I  had 
the  pleasure  to  assist  at  the  following  public  meetings,  which 
were  fixed  for  those  evenings  on  which  my  own  labours 
were  suspended ;  and,  although  these  intervening  days  were 
originally  set  aside  for  rest,  I  was  too  happy  in  the  appro- 
priation of  them  to  the  objects  named  to  regret  for  a  mo- 
ment the  extra  labour  they  involved. 

The  first  of  these  public  meetings  was  held  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, a  large  church  or  meeting-house  in  Broadway,  to 
advocate  and  promote  the  cause  of  Temperance.     The  Tab- 
ernacle is  one  of  the  largest  places  of  worship  in  New- York, 
and  will  contain  nearly  3000  persons.     On  this  occasion  it 
was  filled  to  overflowing,  and  large  numbers  were  unable  to 
obtain  admission.     At  half  past  seven  the  chair  was  taken 
by  S.  V.  S.  Wilder,  Esq.,  and  the  meeting  was  opened  with 
prayer  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Duffield.     I  was  then  introduced  to 
the  audience  by  a  short  address  from  the  chairman,  after 
which  I  spoke  for  about  two  hours,  giving  the  history  of  the 
temperance  reformation  in  England,  the  efforts  made  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  the  evidence  procured  by  its  committee 
of  inquiry,  and  the  recent  progress  of  the  question  in  the 
public  mind  in  Britain,  followed  by  some  general  arguments 
in  favour  of  the  cause,  as  applicable  to  this  and  every  other 
country  on  the  globe.    The  audience,  large  as  it  was,  evin- 


H 


STATB  OF  NEW-YORK. 


"tree.  Chapel  ThnuSdi^^k  .^  """^  "  ChatS™. 
Tabernacle,  will  c^,Z^^i?f' ^^^^  T  "o  '"««  «>  A' 
seated;  «.d,  when°te  Sf  a^T"^"  ^  P*"""' 
are  filial,  2^  „,„  be'"atoi?.ed.'^E*^  Z'T?*""" 
crowded  on  the  Dresent  oonn«,««       /-very  part  of  it  was 

wan.  of  ,„„„,.  sz^z^i'^zzfr'  '•" 

ing  was  opened  bv  saorpH  m„oi^  ,        '  *""  ^^^  "^eet- 

belutifdly^exeLerby  f veTS Je'^^^^^^^^ 

choir.     Here  also  as  at  Th  J  ToK         ,  "\^"''  well-trained 

tion  was  manSd  aU'SgTetiitt^T  ^"T 
dress-which  was  d;voted  to  Tf  exUhk,nTth!  T  ^**' 
and  miseries  of  War  it^  ini„«t,«T  ^*P°f"'p"  of  the  horrors 

which  it  inflicted  on  mankind  tk""^  *  •  ^  1°,"^  ^'^^^  «^  ^^ils 
tion,  and  the  wtSJaSStv^?'  the  desirability  of  its  aboli- 

Nations,  to  wh^rrt  a  «l''**^^^t^^^  ^*>»g'««'  of 
putes  bitwein  nii^ns^noHS  f""'^'^^  *^°««  ^«- 
sword,  might  be  reCelZ  :^^^^yZ  ^P^^  ,^<>  *he 
averted—nothing  could  exrPP^^jf  •  *  '  ^"**  "^^  ^^"S  »>« 
hearers,  or  the  unanimity  oflho  '"*T''  "™«^  »>y  *»^« 
these  et'atements  rd^^L:^  trTS^d"  th'e  "'^t 

XTrrgetti^rtir '-^^  -r^^^^^^^ 

The  third  pELrtLTt?^^^^^^^  ^^  "S'««^»>1«- 

and  promot/the  oT^:7^^^Tmt:Z  ''' ^'^'''' 
held  m  the  Tabernacle  on  Tuesday,  the  14fh  ^^  n  '^  T*^ 
and  attended  by  as  manv  ««  t^f  k  nj-      "  °'  December, 

The  meeting  wa's '0^"^  jit  o'4{|?Cl!>r  T^^' 
gentleman  who  has  taken  a  deep  Lerlst  in  Z  '  ^^'^  * 
of  education  and  the  improvement  of  thl  P'-omotion 

and  who  for  some  years  CtT«t  •  t  ^^^'"on  schools, 
clusively  to  tWs  obS  TiJ^^rF^T  ^  *^"  ^^"^<>«t  «^- 
Col.  StoL,  the?S*;f  olieTtr  plSn:?^,  '"^^^^^  <^^ 
pers,  Samuel  Mott,  Esq.,  a  member  of^thT^P-  daily  newspa- 

and  a  gentleman  ^hoUes  a^omlm  pa°rtT/tf  "''^'' 
tion  of  education  was  o^\UA  *;™^"®J»t  part  m  the  promo. 

Taylor  addres  e3\L  mee  LV?o  a^^^^^^^^  f  *''"  *^^«'  ^'' 
the  defects  of  the  conSln  ,!h^  1  ^**°"*  «»  ho"»  detailing 
of  the  severa   staterToWho     I?  *'*^«°»ntry  district! 

forced.  .„  .e'S7.  K=i\ralt„^  ^.^  J 


IMPORTANCE   OF  BDITCATION  IN  AMERICA.  9^ 

for  the  benefit  of  the  common  schools  of  the  country  ^  fhA 
'Sunday.,chool  Union"  does  for  the  Sunday!schooT8  S  tJe 
states :  a  proposition  which  was  well  received 

Mr.  Taylor  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brackenridffe 

of  Prmceton  one  of  the  most  eloquent  of  the  public  rn^^of 

the  present  day,  who  made  a  very  powerful  s^eecS  Tsnl 

port  of  the  general  cause  of  education,  and  urged  the  nece?- 

sity  of  carefully  excluding  persons  who  were^known  to  b^ 

mfidels  from  all  participation  in  the  management  or  direc! 

tion  of  schools,  either  as  teachers  or  assistanfs.     At  °he  dose 

of  his  speech  a  remarkable  scene  occurred:  a  well-dressed 

and  middle-aged  lady  rose  in  front  of  the  gallery,  and  asked 

permission  of  the  chairman  to  put  a  question  t7  he  speaker 

who  had  just  sat  down.     She  represented  herself  as^a  for! 

eigner  and  spoke  with  the  accent  of  a  Germr  but  used 

correct  and  appropriate  language,  and  expre^;d  herself 

with  gT*.at  firmness  and  self-possession.     Permission  hav^« 

severeiv^?  infiH.^'  ''^'''''?  gentleman  who  had  spoken  s^ 
severely  ot  infidels  was  ready  to  accept  her  ehallpn^A  o«^ 
prepared  to  fight  the  infidels  Vith  theirCn  weapons  ^'  A 
scene  of  great  excitement  followed,  the  indignation  of  i^ 
audience  being  loudly  and  generally^x^reSfand  ^  Z 
efforts  of  the  chairman  and  those  on  the*^platfor„x  t"  ,eprSs 
It  were  for  some  time  ineffectual.  At  length  sHence  C 
restored  Mr.  Brackenridge  rose,  and  saKt  he  wl  tftf 
prepared  to  answer  the  question  proposed  to  himTnd  S 
reply  was  this:  "  That  he  had  been  taught  froni  Ss  infancv 
and  Christianity  has  since  confirmed  the  prLietv  S  th ' 

woman  »     THp  f  7  ^"^  ^'"?  of  weapons  to  fight  with  a 

si^reTrs^d^^Tid^ '-''-  ^^^^^^  -'^  -<^— - 

the'^chLmfJ  f"^'^;^^^  the  meeting,  by  the  introduction  of 
oiedZ^nn'     '  ^^T  ^^  ^^"'^  ^"^  ^  ^«if'  °n  'h«  subject 

one^tTnn  t     A  ^  '^°'^^'  ^"^  *^«  P««»liar  importance  of  this 

3f  fhe  peonlt""'"'"'  ^  ^T^  '^^  ''^""^'y  ^^^^^^  ^^e  mass 
o  hlr  rSt^P   •  ^^f  «^se<*  a  larger  share  of  power  than  in  any 

cons'  ue^^^^^  Z  '^..'^^'^^  '  ''  ^^^^  '^^'^"^'^  ^^  ^^e  utmo"^ 

f!"'i^  '^^^'^  °o"ld  only  be  communicated,  irenerkllv  anH 
e.^a«iveiy,^y  a  good  system  of  national  education:"  The 


16 


STATE   OP  NEW-YORK. 


Sr„  "^  1)  /?  '"P"^*^  *'"  1^  ^'^^o^'J^'  and  its  proceeding 
were  marked  by  great  animation  and  enthusiasm   ''^''^^"'S' 

w  J  ♦Lr?*r''^'°  ?"^^*'"5  ^'^^^  I  ^««  «a"ed  on  to  attend 
was  that  of  the  anniversary  of  the  New- York  City  S 
Society,  an  extensive  and  useful  body,  who  employ  six^e^^^^^ 
p«d  missionaries,  at  regular  annual  salaries,  to  deTote  thej 

^a^t  of^'  °  T!-"^  *'^\"°«*  ™^«hed  'and  abandoned 
part  of  the  population  in  their  own  dwellings  and  bv  tS« 
use  of  printed  tracts,  conversation,  admoniS  and'persua 
«on,  mcline  them  to  change  their  modes  of  life"'a«endT?he" 
be  er  management  of  their  temporal  affairs,  and  devote^Se 
portion  of  theur  time  to  spiritual  ones.  These  milsSnS 
are  assisted  m  their  benevolent  labours  by  the  votaaryTr! 
vices  of  eleven  hundred  male  and  female  distr  "rvTsUers 
who  day  by  day  devote  some  portion  of  their  time  to  the 
same  object  and  are  instrumental  in  rescuing  largTnumber« 

llnUr.  ^'^^  ^r^i^'^y  «»d  disaipationVp  evaS  on 
hundreds  to  jom  the  Temperance  Society,  ti  become  mor« 
economical  and  industrious,  to  attend  pubhc  worsWp  to^end 
Jeir  children  to  the  Sunday-schools,  and  soTamend  ?he^ 
hves  m  industry,  sobriety,  morals,  and  religion  asTo  become 
changed  bemgs— better  husbands,  better  wives    better  ™ 

'TtV:;iltlt"Y"^  ""'''''  -embers  oT7he%omm:„rte^ 

At  7  o'clock  the  chau-  was  taken  by  the  nre^iHpnt  «i  Ic 
society,  Zachariah  Lewis,  Esq.,  a  velabWd^!^^^^^^^^ 

thpT^rT^  ^A^".°^  *ee.  Music  was  then  perffeTSy 
the  New.  York  Academy  of  Sacred  Music  assi-ZIw^K^ 
choir  of  the  Tabernacle,%he  buildingTwhicTwe tere  as' 
sembled  and  nothing  could  be  more%haste  or  perflct  C 
Its  execution.     Prayer  was  then  offered  up  by  the  Rev  D? 

nual  reports  of  the  secretary  and  treasurer  were  read   and 
speeches  were  delivered  in  support  of  the  obfectt  of  th/,. 

oUhePr^l^J^L^nt^^^^^     ^"^  *^«  ^«^-  W-  Adams, 
windpSSoVr^^^^  IJ"'  ^"^b'-a^ing  ministers  of  the 

formed^bv^thi'r^!^u  ^^'/r°^'  °^  '^^'^^  'nnsie  were  per- 
S  with  1    "J^^^^'s  o^  the  Academy  and  the  choir  united 
ch^L  nf  t^*^  sveetness  and  skill,  adding  greatly  to  the 
wiTaUed  on  TvT'^r'     '*  "^«  ''^''  pa?tLe  Lf^re  I 
™eveninir  Lrl.'^"''";?  *^  ^^^^^^^^^  '^^  b"«iness  of 

MdZSei^Tfr/r"^/'***'*^'''  ^"^  ^^°"gh  the  subject 
wia  me  mterest  1  lelt m udrftwmp  ««  k««^„ j  u°ir__-. .     r. 


ANNIVERSARV   OF  THB   HALF-ORPHAN  ASYLCM. 


27 


attention  was  as  profound  and  unbroken  at  that  late  hour  as 
in  the  earliest  part  of  the  evening.  A  collection  was  made 
at  the  close  of  the  whole  for  the  funds  of  the  Society,  by 
which  a  sum  of  3500  dollars  was  realized,  a  substantial  proof 
of  the  sincerity  and  zeal  of  those  who  contributed  it. 

The  fifth  public  meeting  that  I  attended  was  that  of  the 

Total  Abstinence  Society,  or  that  branch  of  the  Temperance 

Society  which  recommends  the  entire  abstinence  from  all 

intoxicating  drinks  as  a  beverage,  and  avoids  the  use  of 

wine,  beer,  or  any  other  drink  that  can  produce  intoxication, 

as  much  as  ardent  spirits.     This  meeting  was  held  in  the 

Methodist  Chapel  in  Green-street,  which  was  filled  in  every 

part ;  and  about  twenty  clergymen,  ministers  and  members 

of  the  board  or  committee,  were  on  the  platform.     Several 

speeches  were  delivered  on  the  subject  of  temperance,  and 

in  the  intervals  appropriate  music  was  performed  ;  and  one 

or  two  odes  and  hymns,  written  for  the  occasion,  were  sung 

by  the  choir.     My  own  effort  was  reserved  for  the  closing 

address,  as  had  been  done  on  all  the  previous  occasions  of 

such  pubhc  meetings ;  and  the  effect  of  the  whole  was,  to 

add  a  very  considerable  number  of  members  to  the  Total 

Abstinence  Society,  by  persons  coming  forward,  after  the 

proceedings  were  over,  to  enter  their  names,  sign  the  pledge 

to  abstain  from  all  that  can  intoxicate,  and  contribute  to  the 

funds  of  the  institution. 

The  sixth  public  meeting  at  which  I  assisted  was  the  an- 
niversary of  the  Half-Orphan  Asylum,  which  was  held  at  the 
Stuyvesant  Institute  on  Wednesday,  the  10th  of  January, 
1838,  at  noon.     There  had  existed  previous  to  this  an  or- 
phan asylum  for  those  unhappy  children  who  had  lost  both 
their  parents ;  but  many  little  objects  of  charity  who  had  lost 
only  one,  though  that  surviving  parent  should  be  helpless, 
were  shut  out  from  admission  by  the  terms  of  its  constitution. 
It  was  to  meet  such  cases  as  these  that  this  second  institution 
was  formed.     Its  projectors,  supporters,  and  managers  were 
ladies,  and  the  good  they  had  already  effected  was  suffi. 
ciently  proved  by  the  exhibition  of  about  a  hundred  little 
children,  of  both  sexes,  who  had  been  saved  from  certain 
want,  and  probable  vice  and  misery,  by  their  benevolent  ex- 
ertions.    The  funds  were  supplied  wholly  by  annual  sub. 
scriptions  and  voluntary  donations  ;  and  it  was  impossible  to 
hear  the  report  read,  and  witness  the  amount  of  benefit  se- 
cured, without  being  delighted  to  find  how  small  an  amount 
of  money,  judiciously  applied,  will  procure  a  large  amount 
01  good  J  and  without  btjing  at  the  same  time  surprised  that 


m 


STATE   OF  NEW-YORK. 


mankind  are  so  slow  in  learning  that  the  pleasures  of  benev- 
olence are  at  once  the  cheapest,  the  most  exquisite,  and  the 
most  enduring  that  man  can  enjoy.  The  meeting  was  very 
numerous,  though  composed  almost  wholly  of  ladies ;  and 
the  proceedings  were  conducted  and  addresses  made  by  the 
chairman,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Peters,  the  secretary  who  read  the 
report,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hawks,  and  myself. 

The  seventh  public  meeting  in  which  I  took  a  part  was  held 
at  the  Tabernacle  on  Tuesday,  the  16th  of  January,  for  the 
purpose  of  presenting  to  the  community  of  i^Jew-York  the 
claims  which  the  seamen  of  the  port  had  on  their  sympathy 
and  aid,  with  a  view  to  induce  the  public  to  assist  in  rescu- 
ing them  from  the  snares  and  temptations  by  which  sailors 
are  surrounded  and  beset  on  landing,  and  providing  for 
them  comfortable,  orderly,  and  temperate  boarding-houses, 
to  be  called  Sailors'  Homes.     From  the  interest  I  had  al- 
ways taken  in  the  welfare  of  this  deserving  but  neglected 
class  of  beings  in  my  own  country,  my  attention  was  natu- 
rally drawn  to  their  condition  here ;  and  I  found,  on  inspec- 
tion and  inquiry,  that  here,  as  in  England,  the  sailor  ia 
hardly  permitted  to  tread  the  shore,  after  his  arrival  from  a 
long  voyage,  before  he  is  beset  and  surrounded  with  an  un- 
principled gang  of  grog-shop  keepers,  pawnbrokers,  pro- 
curesses, crimps,  and  other  "  land-sharks,"  as  they  are  most 
appropriately  called,  all  anxious  to  make  the  unsuspecting 
victim  their  prey.     He  is  then  decoyed  by  flattering  words, 
and  the  offer  of  money  for  his  inmiediate  wants  before  his 
wages  are  paid,  to  some  low  boarding-house,  attached  to 
which,  or  near  at  hand,  are  all  the  vicious  allurements  of  in- 
toxicating drink,  gaming,  dancing,  women,  and  everything 
that  can  draw  his  money  from  his  pocket ;  so  that  by  these 
joint  influences  he  is  often  drained  of  the  whole  earnings  of 
a  year  of  peril  and  hardship  at  sea  in  the  short  space  of  a 
single  week,  at  the  end  of  which  he  has  to  embark  again 
upon  the  ocean,  without  even  the  means  of  purchasing  suffi- 
cient clothes  for  his  voyage,  or  leaving  any  provision  for  his 
family  or  kindred  behind  him. 

To  remedy  this  evil,  some  benevolent  ladies  had  been  ' 
prevailed  on  to  set  the  example  of  establishing  a  single  Sai- 
lors' Home,  which  I  went  with  my  family  to  visit  on  the 
morning  of  the  day  of  our  meeting.  We  found  it  all  that 
could  be  desired :  a  good  kitchen,  well  furnished  with  every 
requisite ;  a  clean  and  airy  mess-room  for  eating ;  a  large 
sitting-room,  well  provided  with  plain  furniture,  and  use- 
ful and  entertaining  books  for  reading ;  spacious  and  well 


sailors'  homes. 


29 


ventilated  t:orraitorie8,  with  clean  and  wholesome  beds, 
and  ample  room  for  the  sailors'  chests  and  hammocks ;  and, 
above  all,  a  "  sick  bay,"  as  it  is  called  by  sailors :  a  large 
open  room  used  as  a  hospital  for  the  men.     The  establish- 
ment was  presided  over  by  Captain  Gelson,  a  seaman  of  ex- 
perience and  good  character,  assisted  by  his  wife  and  sister, 
who  managed  all  the  household  supplies  and  arrangements, 
while  he  superintended  the  general  discipline.     A  physician 
attended  the  house  weekly,  or  oftener  if  required,  to  pre- 
scribe for  those  who  needed  it ;  and  a  chaplain  read  prayers 
morning  and  evening,  and  conducted  public  worship  on 
Sundays.     The  food  was  simple,  but  wholesome  and  am- 
ple.    No  spirits,  wine,  beer,  or  any  other  stimulating  drink 
was  permitted  to  enter  the  establishment ;  nor  was  smo- 
king, the  great  auxiliary  and  promoter  of  drinking,  allowed 
within  the  walls.     The  number  of  sailors  at  present  board- 
wg  here  were  forty,  which  was  as  many  as  the  house  would 
comfortably  accommodate ;  but  more  than  a  hundred  had 
been  shipped  from  the  house  since  its  establishment,  only 
two  months  since,  captains  of  ships  preferring  to  take  them 
from  hence,  as  being  better  assured  of  their  sobriety,  only 
one  failure  in  which  had  taken  place  since  the  house  was 
opened.     The  sum  charged  to  each  of  the  seamen  for  board 
and  lodging,  with  everything  in  the  most  comfortable  abun- 
dance, was  only  three  dollars,  or  about  twelve  shillings  ster- 
ling, per  week ;  and  this  was  found  to  be  sufficient  to  cover 
all  the  expenses  of  the  establishment     Thus  economy  was 
added  to  all  the  other  attractions  of  this  home ;  as,  for  much 
worse  fare  m  the  ordinary  boarding-houses,  from  four  to  five 
dollars  are  charged,  independently  of  the  constant  drain  for 
drinking,  and  other  vicious  indulgences,  of  all  the  men's 
surplus  money ;  while  those  who  live  in  the  Sailors'  Home 
Me  easily  persuaded  to  put  their  wages  received  into  the 
Savings  Bank,  and  thus  to  accumulate,  instead  of  dissipa- 
tmg  and  destroying,  their  hard-earned  gains. 

The  object  of  this  meeting  was  to  present  tJiese  facts  to 
the  community,  and  appeal  to  them  in  support  of  such  insti- 
tutions ;  which,  with  their  aid,  it  would  be  easy  to  multiply, 
first  m  New- York,  and  then  in  every  other  port  of  the  coun- 
try. It  was  matter  of  surprise  and  regret  to  me  to  find  that 
not  a  single  ship-owner  or  merchant  of  note  was  present  on 
the  platform  of  the  meating,  though  they  who  amass  their 
fortunes  by  the  enterprise  of  sailors  ought  undoubtedly  to 
have  taken  the  lead  on  such  a  subject.  But  the  principal 
supporters  of  it  were  the  ladies  of  the  New- York  Bethel 


W  STATK  OF  NBW-rORK. 

Union,  and  some  ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  phUanthropio 

laymen  whoUy  unconnected  with  shipping,  commerce,  or 

trade.     Ihe  meetmg  was  very  numerously  attended,  and 

addressed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Greenleaf,  secretary,  and  editor 

of  the  Nautical  Magazine;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Elliott,  who  had 

been  himself  a  sailor  in  early  life  to  the  age  of  thirty,  and 

had  afterward  entered  the  ministry ;  and  by  myself.     Great 

sympathy  was  manifested  and  expressed  by  the  audience, 

which  exceeded  3000  persons,  and  a  very  liberal  coUection 

was  made  m  aid  of  the  fund  forming  for  the  purpose  of  set- 

tmg  on  foot  more  such  Homes  as  this,  by  paying  the  first 

cost  of  their  fitting  up  and  furniture,  and  so  keeping  the  rate 

of  expense  to  the  seamen  below  the  standard  of  ordinary 

boarding-houaes,  and  yet  sufficiently  high  to  maintain  the 

establishment  out  of  its  own  weekly  receipts,  as  soon  as  it 

had  been  set  up  in  the  manner  described. 

When  all  the  public  institutions  that  solicited  my  aid  had 
been  thus  assisted,  at  the  public  meetings  held  on  their  be- 
half,  I  had  hoped  to  have  enjoyed  son.,  intervals  of  repose 

iTTul  A  *^?  T  '!?''?  n^y  lecturer  were  announced  to 
be  delivered,  as  I  found  the  labour  of  public  speaking  and 
private  visitmg  every  day  to  be  a  little  more  than  was  con- 
genial  to  health  or  comfort.  But  I  was  not  permitted  to 
enjoy  even  these  occasional  intervals  of  repose,  as  I  was 
pressed  mto  the  service  of  individual  and  collective  charitv 
to  give  some  public  lectures,  first,  for  the  benefit  of  a  faiJ' 
ily  of  respectability,  who  had  been  well  off  in  England 
came  here,  suffered  losses  and  sickness,  and  were  now  in 
great  distress ;  and,  secondly,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  in 
a  district  or  quarter  of  the  town  where  the  English  and  Irish 
migrants  chiefly  reside  before  they  are  drained  off  to  the 
Western  States,  and  where  the  misery  and  suffering  among 
thete  emigrants  seemed  to  me  to  be  equal  to  anytfing  that 
1  had  seen  at  home.  j       5     «•- 

.nlr,?5^?^''"  *°  *^°^^.  opportunities  which  my  own  several 

aZdpdli'lr'  ^"^  *^^  ^'''^S  ^*  *^«««  P»b"°  meetings 
attorded  me  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  most  intelligent 

and  benevolent  members  of  the  community,  we  visited,  in 

Z^r^r^  S"  ^^'°*°''^  °^  t^«  institution  themselves,  a? 
most  all  the  public  establishmems  of  the  city  connected  with 
moral  o,  social  improvemem,  of  each  of  which  an  account 
wiU  be  given  m  its  proper  place. 

I  passed  an  entire  day  also  with  the  Hon.  Daniel  Webster, 
the  ernment  senator  from  Massachusetts,  in  a  public  visit 
made  by  him  to  his  political  friends  at  Newark,  one  of  the 


80CIBTY   IN  MKW-TOBK. 


m 


principal  cities  of  New-Jersey,  about  ten  miles  from  New- 
York,  during  which  I  saw  a  great  deal  to  admire  in  the  picture 
which  it  presented  of  the  people  among  whom  we  were  placed. 
I  was  taken  by  several  friends  to  the  different  polling! 
places  of  the  wards  during  the  exciting  election  of  members 
for  the  Legislature,  which  occurred  within  the  first  month  of 
our  stay  here,  and  which  was  said  to  have  agitated  the  whole 
country  more  than  any  election  for  many  years.     In  addition 
to  all  this,  we  were  invited  to  dine  and  pass  the  evening 
with  so  many  families  in  the  first  circles  of  society,  that  we 
had  the  opportunity  of  becoming  personally  acquainted  with 
all  the  leading  members  of  the  community,  and  seeing  the 
state  of  rnanners  in  every  class  and  in  every  variety  of  aspect. 
I  was  introduced  also  to  the  leading  members  of  the  legal 
profession,  by  being  invited  to  their  club,  where  about  fifty 
of  the  principal  gentlemen  of  the  bench  and  the  bar  meet 
every  Saturday  evening  at  the  houses  of  the  members  in  ro- 
tation,  and  thus  had  an  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  greatest  number  of  the  judges,  the  principal  bar- 
risters,  and  the  most  eminent  of  the  attorneys,  for  some  of 
each  class  belonged  to  the  club. 

The  great  body  of  the  clergy  and  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
were  among  my  most  frequent  visiters  and  companions,  our 
labours  m  assisting  at  the  various  public  meetings  bringing 
us  much  together  ;  besides  which,  they  were  among  the  most 
constant  attendants  on  my  lectures.    In  addition  to  this,  the 
Chancellor  of  the  University,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Matthews,  invited 
several  parties  of  the  most  eminent  among  the  scientific  pro- 
fessors and  literary  men  of  New- York  to  meet  me  at  his  of- 
ficial residence.     These  two  classes  of  soirees,  the  legal  and 
the  clerical,  were  among  the  most  intellectual  and  agreeable 
I  ever  remember  to  have  met  with  anywhere,  not  even  ex- 
cepting the  delightful  literary  sources  of  London  and  Paris  • 
for,  though  at  these  the  number  and  eminence  of  the  distin- 
guished individuals  present  were  always  greater  than  here 
yet  in  the  parties  of  the  legal,  clerical,  and  literary  men  in 
JNew-York  there  was  a  simpUcity  of  manners  and  an  inten- 
sity  of  interest  in  the  subjects  that  engaged  their  attention, 
which  was  particularly  charming. 

At  the  most  moderate  calculation  that  can  be  made,  I 
think  that,  during  the  four  months  of  our  stay  in  New- York, 
1  became  personally  acquainted,  by  introduction  and  inter- 
change  of  calls  and  visits,  with  nearly  500  individuals ;  while 
those  who  attended  my  courses  of  lectures,  delivered  in  dif- 
ferent Darts  of  the    '^ 


•VJ 


and  formed  the  audi 


.uiiccs  oi  me  sev- 


38 


•TATS   or   NEW-VORK. 


to  the  iihabita^/rai^SJoJld^w^ 

space  of  time.  ^  ''°"^'*  "^^^^  ^^come  in  that 

I  have  committed  TpZrriv^^^^^ 

ject8  of  interest  it  contS     HnJ.      ^  *^^  ^'^^  ^"^  t^e  ob- 

to  eatablish  or  defeTno  the^^r^'oTsT^^^^^^^ 

any  mterest  whatever  to  serve,  I  belfeve  Ihl^  H^^'",!  "°' 

the  exeout  on  of  this  task  a«  mnt.K    V  •*  ^  bj'ought  to 

nature  wiJl  admit  of  one's  e^ro.t     ^"^P^'^'^^ty  as  human 

and  if  to  some  my  es't^  teTh^'^^^^^^^^^ 

others  too  low,  my  iustification  i«  tt^o??  ?       °  ^'^^*  °>^  *<> 

standard  but  tLt  of  trufh     Zl  wh  f^  ^  ^^""^  ^^^^  «*  "<> 


CHAPTER  III. 

"&otlT;ai!S^S^^^^  P'«n  of  the  Citrand  if 


margin—Outline  of  the  Plan,  and  oeneral  Fn™^>  .u '^'"^^  "^  extensiTe  WateN 
open  Space,  in  New- York-PaKuiid  nw  -^i?,  L^",  ^Uy-PuWic  Square,  and 
-■Churchea.  and  Style  of  Archkecture  „XVaV  L     i^"?'"™"''"""' *^^ 

Htt^mr  thalto  tnt^iel  a^""^^'  "^^  «^-^«  -«» 
tribes  of  untmored  Indtnl      T.  ^S°^^^o^est  inhabited  b^ 

of  ManhattaTrsVr^frc^veirbVL'S^  *'^'«^^"^ 
Henry  Hudson,  then  in  the  servTce  of  the  Dufoh  w'7f  *?'' 
Company;  and  he  found  ih^  JiK  •  {"^ ^^"tch West  India 
tablef  tha    they  refused  to  hoM       ^»^«b^t"^g  «  so  inhospi- 

even 'for  barter' ^I^S^T^ad      'TiVlSLr^nhTc^'t'  ^ 

on  the  opposite  shore  of  New-Jersev  wp".  ^ontment, 

and,  encouraged  bv  h «,  fti!r;^i     ^' ,    •  ^  "'°''^  ^^^^s^ible ; 

uragea  by  hia  friendly  relations  with  them,  he 


HISTORY  or   NEW-YORK. 


33 


'sailed  up  the  great  North  River  for  150  miles,  and  gave  it 
the  name  which  it  now  bears,  the  Hudson.     The  Dutch 
availed  themselves  of  this  discovery  to  make  a  settlement  for 
trading  purposes  high  up  the  river,  on  an  island  near  the 
present  town  of  Albany,  where  furs  were  to  be  obtained 
abundantly ;  but  the  hostility  of  the  tribes  inhabiting  the 
island  near  the  sea,  on  which  New- York  now  stands,  was 
not  overcome  till  three  years  afterward,  the  first  fort  built 
there  by  the  Dutch  being  in  1612.     It  was  not  untif  1623  that 
the  Indians  could  be  prevailed  upon  to  part  with  the  land  on 
which  New- York  is  built ;  and  even  the  settlement  formed 
here  was  confined  to  an  enlarged  fort,  where  the  confluence 
of  the  two  rivers — the  North  and  the  East— swept  round  the 
southern  point  of  the  island,  and  made  it  a  suitable  place  for 
a  fortification  to  conunand  the  harbour,  as  the  Battery  of  the 
present  city,  which  occupies  the  same  locality,  does  at  the 
present  time.     From  this  point,  as  the  population  increased, 
the  town  began  to  extend  from  the  fort  northward,  and  it 
was  then  called  New  Amsterdam. 

In  1664  the  city  was  taken  by  the  British,  from  whom, 
however,  it  was  rescued  by  the  Dutch  in  1673.     After  re- 
maining in  their  possession  'for  a  year  only,  it  was  restored 
again  to  the  English  ;  and  being  then  granted  by  Charles 
the  Second  to  his  brother  J&mes,  the   duke  of  York,  its 
name  was  changed  to  New- York.     From  this  time  onward, 
its  population  and  buildings  seem  to  have  made  a  slow  but 
steadily-increasjng  progress ;  and  the  state  of  the  municipal 
government,  and  the  improved  police  of  the  town,  kept  pace 
with  its  increase  in  size.    It  was  in  1684  that  the  first  city- 
watch  was  appointed,  the  number  of  these  heroes  of  the 
night  being  twelve,  and  their  pay  a  shilling  each  per  night. 
In  1697  the  lighting  of  the  city  was  provided  for  by  an  or- 
der, which  compelled  all  persons  to  put  lights  in  their  win- 
dows, under  a  penalty  of  ninepence  for  each  omission  ;  and 
every  seventh  house  in  each  street  was,  in  addition  to  this, 
required  to  hang  out  a  pole  with  a  lantern  and  candle  sus- 
pended on  it,  to  light  the  street. 

In  1725  the  first  newspaper  was  established  in  New- York, 
called  the  Weekly  Gazette ;  and  in  1729  a  large  library,  be- 
longing to  Dr.  Millington,  of  England,  was  presented,  af- 
ter his  decease,  to  the  city,  by  the  London  Society  for  prop- 
agating the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts.  These  two  events 
gave  an  impetus  to  the  operations  of  the  public  mind,  and 
improvements  of  every  kind  became  more  marked  than  be- 
tore  It  was  in  1765  that  the  famous  Stamp  Act,  attempted 
Vol.  I E  *        >         i 


84 


STATE   or  NEW-roRK. 


to  be  imposed  on  the  American  colonies  by  the  British  nro. 
duced  Huch  excitement  as  to  lead  to  the  meeting  of  «r 
gress  at  New- York,  composed  of  delegateTC^ol?  p^' 
of  the  colon.es      Early  in  1776  a.e  AmericanTrmv  entCd 

s.^nedatpfnadelphia'^^^^^^^^ 

however,  the  British  obtained  a  vicS  over  th.T'  ^''''' 

selves  of  New. York.     This  wos  in  August,  1776  •  and  in 
the  same  eventful  yea,  a  dreadful  eonfagrkt'on  occur?ei 
S"  o,av  S'rr  ?  '""■.".T^^-  "■"  "•'^^  number  b"^1; 

Ne^rrktas-tUre^a^dt/tlfi'C^^^^ 

ceiebp" ::;  wft^  'Xr^K  •fei^i^run'' 

It  was  in  this  city  that  the  first  American  ConareM  w«« 
held,  when  the  members  met  after  the  Revolution3warT 
^e  year  1785    m  the  old  City  Hall;  and  in  Si    1789 
s^rh^-^^'^'"^f  T'  i"«"g»rated,  in  th^galle  J  of  fh^ 

Prom    ^^'  ^'  !?\^'''  ^^^«'^«"*  °^  th«  Unfted  S^tatJ 
From  this  period  the  most  rapid  progress  of  N^w  vtt, 

qutrt^:    hlkTo'atotr^^^^"^  '''  di-ttsTof  rdSt 
4ucirier,  man  to  all  other  causes  put  together  thnt  th»  «,»,„ 

^ng  increase  in  size,  population,^and  o^^ie  which  Cw" 
York  now  exhibits  must  be  attributed.     How  great  that  d^f 

ri786"th  ""'^  '1  ^"'^*'^*^'*  '^y  *h«  "«*^  of  1[gures     ''^* 
203  007    .  *^^P°P"^ation  was  23,614;   in  1836  it  was 

Tn  1 7({i  S.^  V^'^"*  ^*  ^«  »«^'iy  300,000. 
was  2  505  S?s!5  S     amount  of  the  exports  from  New-York 
was  ^,505,465  dollars;  m  1816,  only  twenty-five  vears  «f 

iyTheloS^f'r  'v"r?  --*^-d-  im'porledfrpaid 
Dy  the  port  of  New-York  alone  into  the  treasury  of  the  TIni 

thf  amo"nt7fM'''''''''  '^"^^«'  ^^  inVett'mS 
^,:n:SMoZ7Zl  "^^  1^W040,  aL  of  the 


ADVANTA0E0U8   tlTB    Or   NBW-YORK.  88 

At  the  period  of  General  Washington's  inaumiration  th« 
whole  ouy  of  New. York  wa«  not  Lre  thanTlf  TlnJe 
kng.  us  northern  extremity  terminating  south  of  the  preTent 
City  Ha  1 ;  wh.le  at  present  the  length  of  the  city  exeeeds 
three  miles,  and  streets  are  pavr, .  and  lighted,  and  avem.es 
for  buildings  laid  out  and  prepared,  a  rr^le  at  least  beyond 

The  value  of  the  property  in  New- York  in  1786  is  estima- 
ted  to  have  been  about  12  millions  of  dollars  ;  in  1826  it  was 
assessed  by  valuation  at  98  millions  of  dollars;  and  in  1834 
a  was  assessed  at  218  millions  of  dollars. 
in  nl.i'v?^  ^^°  ^^°^^  shipping  of  the  port  did  not  exceed  120 
sLedof's  J^'?'"""?  ^^°"'  ^^^^^  *«"«•     I"  1836  they  con- 

exctedin  J  SsSSof  ^'"T'  t^^  ''^u^^^^^^^'  «"^  ^  sliops, 
g«?ry  orNeVY:;k.  "'  "  '""^  '"'^^  '^"^  — - 
♦  iP^  u!^  topography  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  present  an  in- 
telligible  description.  The  Island  of  ManhatLron  which 
the  City  of  New-York  stands,  is  a  long  and  narrow  sHd  nro 
jeeting  southward,  like  a  tongue,  from  the  p"nt  wheTe  ^ 
separated  from  the  mainland;  its  length  from  norrto  8<^uth 

ceTdif  rmr'r  ""^^^  "^^  ^.^  •^'^^'^g*'  breadthlTei' 
^u^^  f  r»™  ^®'  *^^  "^^  containing  about  14,000  acres 
The  East  River  (as  it  is  called,  but  in^eality  a  narrow  sS 
or  arm  of  the  sea)  flows  down  to  the  Atlantic  alon J  th« 
eastern  edge  of  this  long  and  narrow  island^nd  ^he  H^d 
son  River  flows  down  to  the  harbour  of  N^^York  aloni; 
the  western  margin  of  the  same  piece  of  land  so  Z? 
^roughout  the  whole  of  the  island  the  breadth^s  'n^here 
greater  than  two  miles  across,  and  in  many  places  ^^01 

Kgiitt.'^'  ^  "^"^'  ''^  --^^  bein^artVnSr: 
It  is  impossible  to  conceive,  therefore,  a  more  advantn 
geous  site  for  the  foundation  of 'a  maritim;  city  Than IhTs  a^ 
It  furnishes  two  bnes  of  river  frontage,  one  on  the  eas  and 
one  on  the  west,  each  of  fourteen  miles  in  length  a^dfror^ 
vardsT^  Pf  °i  '^'  ^'^y'  ^^««  '^'  streetf  ar'e^penT 
S  fro^  7fr*'''  '^^  *^°  "?"  °^^y  ^«  «««"'  one  on  each 

irylizT^^H^^^^^^^^^^  of  ev. 

J  .ip^xv/ii,  Mom  mc  Sloop  oi  50  tons  to  the 


"  STATE  OF  NEW-YORK; 

liondon  or  Liverpool  packet  of  1000  tons;  and  from  the 

8a7f^™T™v  7;'n*"  '^'  ^"S««*  steLm-vesseTthat 
sail  from  New-York  to  other  ports  north  and  south  of  it. 

of  Th?  ^  ?  ^^fu  ^^y*»*T«  arise  from  this  arrangement 
oi  the  streets  m  the  plan  of  the  city.  The  first  is  the  free 
and  healthy  ventilation  of  the  whole,  let  the  wind  come  f  or^ 
whatever  quarter  it  may,  as  the  full  current  of  air  is  unimD™ 
ded  m  Its  course ;  and  the  second  is  the  easy  drainage  of  all 
t.e  central  parts,  from  the  general  declivity  which  pfoceeds 
b„T  'If  'TfJ  "^^'  Srad"ally  downward^o  the  Tte  on 
both  sides  of  the  city.  These  advantages  are  not  vet  suffi- 
ciently  appreciated,  nor  are  they  secured  by  the  best  pracl 
^ble  means;  but,  as  wealth  and  population  increase^,  tej 

Thed^Ld'^^r' "' ""'  "^"'  ^"^  ^"^^""y  <'^-- 

The  southern  extremity  of  this  long  and  narrow  island 
where  the  Eastern  and  Western  rivefs  have  theiTconflu.' 
ence  and  mmgle  their  waters  with  those  of  the  sea,  is  occu- 
pied  by  an  open  grassy  plot  (about  eleven  acres),  planted 

Z  flf r*  ^""^  ^^'^  °"*  f  graveLwalks,  under  the  name  of 
the  Battery;  projecting  beyond  which  is  a  castellated  edi- 
fice,  built  on  a  ledge  of  rocks,  and  now  called  the  Castle 
Cj^arden,  from  its  containing  within  its  limits  a  public  ear- 

fSn^;i^;rr/^!L^"^  ^^^^  ^  P^^^«  ^^«^«  fireworks  we 
often  exhibited  for  the  gratification  of  the  visiters. 

From  this  Battery,  or  from  the  Castle  Garden  beyond  it 
as  you  look  south,  th  >  view  is  varied  and  interesting.    Im- 
mediately  m  front  of  the  spectator  is  a  small  island,  caUed 
t^overnor  8  Island,  containing  several  dwellings,  planted 
^ound  with  trees,  and  having  at  its  western  eSremity  a 
large  curcular  fort  pierced  for  a  great  number  of  cannon, 
comniandmg  the  channel  by  which  alone  ships  can  approach 
the  mner  harbour.     Beyond  this,  to  the  southwest,  is  an- 
other  small  island  called  Bedloe's  Island;  and  still'farther 
on,  in  the  same  durection,  the  larger  island,  called  Staten 
Island,  on  which  is  the  town  of  Richmond,  the  more  recent 
watermg.place  of  New-Brighton,  and  a  number  of  preUy 
terraces  and  villas.     Through  the  opening  between  Staten 
?ntth''\      T?  J^i^^^g  Inland  on  the  east,  constitu- 
ting  the  channel  of  the  Narrows,  the  Atlantic  Ocean  become* 
visible  near  the  low  projection  of  Sandy  Hook.    While  these 
varied  objects  present  themselves  in  the  direction  of  the 
south,  the  view  to  the  west  includes  Jersey  City,  on  the  other 
Side  of  the  Hudson,  here  about  a  mile  across ;  and  on  the 
east,  the  City  of  Brooklyn,  seated  on  the  heights  of  Long 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  VIEW  OF  THE   CITT.  87 

Island,  on  the  other  side  of  the  East  Rivpr  «f  o  j-  ♦  r 

about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  '   *  °  ^"^^^"^^  ""^ 

^..J     A V^  topography  of  the  city  may  be  most  cLllv 

ly  m  aoout  a  W.N.E.  direction,  the  great  avenue  of  Br«a^ 
way  extends  from  the  Battery,  whele  it  begins  Lr?^ 
Place  where  it  terminates,  a  diaJInce  o  ^e4  th  L  m"^^^ 
ma  dn-ect  line.    Beyond  this  two  large  roadfcontinuThe 

lJtfl!:?fi  *°  ?®  ®*^*'  ^n^  the  Bloomingdale  road  a 

^2     FoAri '  T.^  rr^^"S  *°  *^«  extremity  o?  the  TsU 
and.    For  this  length  of  three  mUes  the  city  may  be  said  tn 
be  compactly  built ;  and  for  two  miles  beyLTthi^  the  ll 
nues  and  streets  are  laid  out,  many  of  therpaved  antS: 
Pr'on'"  T^'^^  ^V'^""*  ^°"«««  «re  built  on  each  sfde 

to  see  at  ahnost  every  opening  the  ships  at  the  wharves  S 

ftese^e  each  crossed  bysWJal  S  1,°  righraS'  '""' 

evtSe  .1^  "*  *"'  r  S-'^'y  ^  iiderable?,hoS£ 

^lue  ground  as  the  old  ones,  are  mor^  o,,Kc*„v,*:„ii.f  ._  ^ 

4 


•A^l 


I! 


8TATS   OF   NEW-YORK. 


Beyond  this  half  mile  of  length,  which  extends  to  the 
open  space  called  the  Park,  the  streets  become  more  regu- 


lar, and  the  whole  aspect  of  the  city  more  modern.  As 
you  advance  higher  up  towards  the  termination  of  Broad- 
way, the  improvement  becomes  more  and  more  manifest, 
and  a  considerable  degree  of  elegance  as  well  as  regularity 
reigns  in  all  the  principal  streets  at  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  town. 

Of  the  public  places  for  air  and  exercise  with  whicli  the 
Continental  cities  of  Europe  are  so  abimdantly  and  agreea- 
bly furnished,  and  which  London,  Bath,  and  some  other  of 
the  larger  cities  of  England  contain,  there  is  a  marked 


PUBLIC   BUILDINGS   OF  NEW-YORK. 


39 


deficiency  in  New  York.     Except  the   Battery,  which  is 
agreeable  only  in  summer — the  Bowling  Green  is  a  confined 
space  of  200  feet  long  by  150  broad ;  the  Park,  which  is  a 
comparatively  small  spot  of  land  (about  ten  acres  only)  in 
the  heart  of  the  city,  and  quite  a  public  thoroughfare ;  Hud- 
son Square,  the  prettiest  of  the  whole,  but  small,  being  only 
about  four  acres ;   and  the  open  space  within  Washington 
Square,  about  nine  acres,  which  is  not  yet  furnished  with 
gravel-walks  or  shady  trees — there  is  no  large  place  in  the 
nature  of  a  park,  or  public  garden,  or  public  walk,  where 
persons  of  all  classes  may  take  air  aud  exercise.     This  is  a 
defect  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  ere  long  be  remedied,  as 
there  is  no  country,  perhaps,  in  which  it  would  be  more  ad- 
vantageous  to  the  health  and  pleasure  of  the  community 
than  this  to  encourage,  by  every  possible  means,  the  use  of 
air  and  exercise  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  either  is  at 
present  enjoyed. 

The  public  buildings  are  neither  so  numerous  nor  so  stri- 
king as  in  the  cities  of  older  countries.  The  principal  edi- 
fice  is  the  City  Hall,  which  occupies  a  commanding  situa- 


tion m  the  centre  of  the  most  populous  part  of  the  city,  and 
surrounded  by  the  open  space  constituting  the  Park.  It  is 
216  feet  in  length  by  105  in  breadth.  Its  front,  which  is 
towards  the  south,  as  well  as  its  ends  towards  the  east  and 

T^T'  ®i  OA^"^*  °^  ^®  ^^^*®  marble ;  its  foundation  was 
laid  in  1803,  and  the  building  was  completed  in  1812,  at  an 
expense  exceeding  half  a  miUion  of  dollars;  yet,  recent 
as  this  date  ^seems,  the  reason  universally  alleged  here  for 
1.S  northerzi  iroat  being  buUt  of  brown  ireestone,  Avhiie  the 


40 


8TATJB  OP  NEW-YORK. 


southern  front  is  of  pure  white  marble,  is,  that  the  builder, 
never  expected  the  city  to  extend  beyond  the  Citv  HnnJ! 
the  north,  this  edifice  Ling  then  atTh^lortLS'L^l  y 
of  the  towB,  and  New- York  being  accordindv  about T  ? 
a  mde  m  length;  whereas  now  this  haU  h^L ^^^*es ^I 
t3^^- T.'  l^T^  ""f ''  ^  ''  ^^  «o"th,  the  c^  havW  e^ 

To  thP  h^'  ^T^°".  ^°™^«^^  *  «^«  t°  three  S 
io  the  houses,  therefore,  occupyinff  half  a  milp  tT]L^u 
from  the  Battery  to  the  Citv  Wall   fk-     j^c  ^®"^" 

marble  front,  whLVt^^SX^^^^^^^^  o? 

place  Its  fronts  just  in  the  very  opposite  direction  to  thaUn 

&pl7onr"t^-  l""'  '"f^^"S  ^  "^"^'^  admired  bj 
sion?  i^^at  fil  ?  ""7'  ^.^  '^'  advantageous  position  occa- 
Sr  examfnU-  ™'.^.'  ^^^vourable  impression.  But  on  a 
Closer  examination  this  unpression  is  not  sustained  Th« 
vrmdows  are  much  too  large  and  too  numerous  for  e'xterio? 

\^,.^^A*u       J    "^      .  "S"'®  o»   Justice,  IS  not  of  suffioipnt 
breadth  pod  rrassivenes.  for  the  size  of  th«  bSdiT  S 

datif  r;  ''  ^«^.d^Po««d,  and  possesses  ail  the  Si,^". 

S m  of  cTr -"5"  '-^""^  the  business  of  the  cour^d 
matters  ol  civic  jurisdiction  require. 


f.,Tl^l!?T™"^T^  *"**  /^^  Merchants'  Exchange,  the  lat- 
ter  of  which  was  destroyed  by  the  late  fire,  are  defcribed  as 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  OF  NBW-YORK. 


41 


fine  edifices.  They  are  about  to  be  replaced  by  others, 
both  of  which  are  now  in  course  of  erection,  and  ranidlv 
advancuig  towards  completion.  The  Custom-house  is  to 
be  an  exact  copy  of  the  celebrated  Parthenon  at  Athens 
and  IS  constructed  of  fine  white  marble.  It  is  to  be  177  feet 
long  by  89  wide,  and  will  have  at  each  front  a  splendid 
colonnade  of  the  Doric  order,  the  size  of  the  piUars  32  feet 
in  height  and  five  feet  in  diameter ;  the  centre  of  the  interior 
hall  IS  to  rise  m  a  dome  62  feet  in  diameter ;  the  floors  wiU 
be  supported  on  arches  of  stone,  to  be  fire  proof,  and  the 
cost  IS  estirnated  at  about  half  a  million  of  doUars.  The 
Merchants'  Exchange  is  erecting  not  far  from  the  Custom- 


house ;  it  promises  also  to  be  a  very  fine  building,  and  not 
irg  s^eS  Ltr^'*^^^  "^^^'^^^  estim^Ude^S; 
16^nr2|:f  thlte  - 

rTo  TXcK'  '"  *'^  archit-turalbWufy  of^heT  xt" 
nor,  in  which  they  are  generally  deficient,  as  for  thp  pIp 

gance  and  comfort  of  thiir  interiors,  i^  which  they  far  sur' 
pass  our  churches  in  England.  The  Episcopalian  chSche^^ 
a?e  calL?'r\°^  V^''  ^^"^*^^"  denominat^ns^ugh  aU 
ran 'e"!nt  nf"^?''  ^'''>  ""  '^'  «^°^^  "^  this  respect ;  the  ar- 
the  laTwf  *^1"'^''  ^"*°  '^P^'^t«  P«^«'  both  beW  and  in 
flfoV        u'.'^  **^*^  ^^"^«  «s  with  us;  but  every. seat  is  com" 

w    m'lrplt^^^^^^^^  1  ^^^  '^-^^  and'SUd  wis 

PrTv^nt  thp  1  /'  ^°J  *^^  ^^^*5  *^^  aisles  are  matted  to 
Srot^rr!ltfn:^"4*^_«  -^°^«  ?«  -H  warmed 
hiehlv-noHshpH'tvroY  ^  "'",  ^""^  ^^^^  "»e  pews  are  of 

Vol.  L~F    "'^''^^^"y'  ^"^  ^^^  «eats  are  cushioned  with 


48 


■TATK  OF  NEW-rORK. 


I      !  I 


ed  to  by  a  flight  of  stPm  nn  l!fi,       -i'     Platform,  ascends 

.he  toges,  hotel  in  I-Sr&TS  iX„o  JoVT 
and  has  a  proportionate  establishment  fo^,Th?jS?    t^' 

ing  realized  his  immense  wealth  bv  a  W  UfJ^in^"!.!  •'     , 
and  successfuUy  devoted  to  the  SiiSe^   Th^Sfr/ ^ 

Of  places  of  public  amusement  there  are  a  «eat  n«mK.- 


PBIVATB  DWBIWNOB. 


43 


indoding  SIX  theatres,  which  are  weU  filled  every  niirht 
though  tlie  majority  of  what  would  be  called  iSl  mor^^,7 
spectable  classes  of  society,  the  most  opulem,  andThe  mosi 
rebgious  members  of  the  community,  do  not  generX^at 
ronise  or  approve  of  theatrical  exhib  tions  under  thKel* 
ent  management.    The  large  sums  paid  to  EngSh^^d 

T^rT:ftrT  ^"^T'^««^  ^^°  ^^i»  AmericH  „:3e 
fLZ  ?tt  .".1f°'f  "^  ^°'^ng"«'«  and  persons  no;:  belong! 
mg  to  either  of  the  classes  before  enmnerated  ;  and  th^wm 
hardly  be  wondered  at  when  it  is  stated  that  every  one  if 
these  theatres  was  not  only  open,  but  presented  aTomblna- 
W  It  ^^  "°"'"^^  attractions,  on  the  evening  o7  day; 
tTy  i  ''i^'^'  "^"^^^  °«  ^^y^  «^  ^^^om  obfervance' 
the  one,  the  day  set  apart  by  the  proclamation  of  liT^ta^e 

grrSrrL^;'^^^^p"^"^^^-'««-^^  andthtoS:;: 

U^^^l^-''^^^  dwellings  contain,  as  must  be  the  case  in  aU 
large  cities,  a  great  variety  of  kinds  and  descriptions,  ^he 
older  houses  are  small,  and  mostly  built  of  w^d  painted 
yellow  or  white.  These  are  now  confined  to  7hTresFdeScc« 
of  the  poorer  classes,  and  are  fast  disappearmg  Teverv 

2?S  t^^'  l^r'  ^'i"S  ''^^"P^^**  ^y  substantial  b^ilS 
of  brick  though  here  and  there  are  a  few  with  granite  froms 
The  style  of  decoration,  in  the  steps  of  ascentfthe  a^ea  ra  U 
mgs,  and  the  doors,  is  more  florid  and  ornamentarthan  In 
*e  best  parts  of  London,  and  the  interiroTthe  prtdpS 

r^r  'T^  A  ^'^'"^^^  ^  «P«^»°»«'  handsome,  aSd  S 
nous  with  lofty  passages,  good  staircases,  large  CuJ^nd 
costly  and  gorgeous  furniture.  There  are  many  indiv  dual 
houses  of  much  greater  splendour  in  London  tha^n  Sy  o  be 
^Ii?    r:^°'^'u^'P^°'^y  ^  th«  n»«««i<>n«  of  the  English 

ous,  and  elegantly.furnished  private  dwellings  in  New-York 
IZ   f  rT  ^^  P^P^^^tion  to  the  whole  ^pdS  thS 

ditln^  "^'^f '  ^'^  ""^'y  ""^^"^*  ^"  t^eir  proportions  and  con- 
dition.    The  great  avenue  of  Broadwav  is  striking  from  its 

amDie  for   t^    ^    ^'  ^^°"^  ^^^^^  ^^^*'  ^  »«*  sufficienlly 
^ot  l^,  *^  "^"^  proportion  of  its  length.    It  is,  moreover 

and^  fhe  iTi     K^  ^w"^  frequently  seen  in  the  former  ; 
«na  m  tne  latter,  while  beforR  snm*.  h/>»opo  u..  »i„i-  .r  .....* 

are  large,  unilorm,  and  level,  there  is  often  an  immediate 


44 


STATE  OF  NEW-YORK. 


Si  5.      ""  ?''^  *°  ^'*''^""  "«««««  Of  Joo«^  «tones,  that 
require  the  greatest  caution  to  pass  over,  especiaUy  b  wet 

or  frosty  >veather.     The  lighting  and  cleaisini  of  the  streets 

18  not  nearly  so  good  as  in  the  large  towns  of  England  the 

nThl  *!?!?'';:  ^"^  *^^  ^°^y  «f  scavengers  both  weak  in 
^^^f!  ^^^^^^!^^'  »»  organization.  Some  of  the  smaller 
streets  are  alinost  mipassable  in  times  of  rain  and  snow  • 
and,  when  not  incommoded  b/a  profusion  of  mud  or  watlr' 
they  are  prolific  m  then:  supply  of  dust.  Many  of  the  sTreets 
have  trees  planted  along  the  'edge  of  the  foot^pavlment  on 
each  side,  which  m  summer  affords  an  agreeable  shTde  bu^ 

wither  '?^''^'  dijagreeable  effect  o?strewing  the 'path 
with^faUmg  leaves,  and  in  winter  it  makes  the  aspect  more 

A  custom  prevails,  in  the  principal  streets  for  shoos  of 
havmg  wooden  pillars  planted  along  the  outer  edce  of  the 
pavement,  with  horizontal  beams  reaching  from  pX  To  pu! 
w«lt      n  "^i^  the  stanchions  and   cros^pieces  of  a  Jl 
W       ^1  ?T  P^H"«'  "«"«"y  P«i"ted  white,  are  pXd 
large  printed  p  acards,  announcing  the  articles  sold  Cthe 
shop  before  which  they  stand  ;  and  from  the  under  s/de  of 
the  horizontal  beam  are  suspended,  by  hooks  or  rings  show- 
boards  with  printed  bUls  of  every  colour.     ThK  es^ 
cially  the  case  opposite  the  bookstores.     Another  purpose 
which  these  pillars  and  beams  serve  is  that  of  suspe„dW 
awnm^  from  the  houses  to  the  end  of  the  pavement  in  s^! 
mer,  which  must  make  the  shade  grateful  to  the  foot-pass^ 
ger ;  but  at  a  1  other  times  these  looden  appendages^  made 

^.^.'^^""iT^^"'  'l^^'^  *o  '^g"l^i*y  or  uniforS  Tre  a 

sheets     Broal^^^  P°^  appearanceVthe 

streets.    Broadway,  which  is  greatly  disfigured  by  these  is 

therefore  much  inferior  to  Relent-street  in  London  in  Ihe 
f aJem  n?  ^^/^ ^,«««'  «««tLs,  light,  spacioSsness,  good 
Fzed  «n>  if.^  ^^  ?°P'  **y  ^^^°^  *^«  l^«er  is  character- 
S  ll/^  although  the  number  of  beautiful  and  gayly-dress- 
ed  ladies,  who  make  Broadway  their  morning  |romenade 
umtmg  shopiHug,  visiting,  and  walking  at  th^e  S  "hne' 
gives  It  a  very  animated  appearance  oS  a  fine  daHetwTen 

pages  and  fine  horses,  and  the  fewness  of  welLdresTed  cen- 
tlemen  who  have  leisure  to  devote  to  morning  promenadef  of 
pkasure  occasions  Broadway  to  be  inferio?  in  Se  generd 

f  !1  ^y"'T'  .^^  ^^^g^»<'«  to  the  throng  of  ReS 
street  on  a  fine  day  in  May,  between  three  and  four  o'cfock 


POPOtA'TP  f  OP  NEW-YORK. 


ift 


The  civil  or  municipal  government  of  the  town  is  vested 
in  a  mayor,  aldermen,  and  common  council,  elected  annu. 
aUy  by  universal  suffrage  and  the  ballot,  at  the  time  when 
the  election  for  the  Legislature  of  the  state  takes  place,  which 
IS  annually.  Political  or  party  considerations  appear  to 
weigh  more  with  the  electors  than  mere  fitness  for  the  duties 
of  office ;  and  accordmgly.  Whig  and  Tory  strive  here,  a» 
they  do  m  England,  to  fill  the  municipal  body  with  persons 
ot  theur  own  pohtics,  as  if  it  seemed  to  them  impossible  that 
a  good  civic  or  municipal  functionary  could  be  found,  out  of 
tne  ranks  of  their  own  political  party.  Their  jurisdiotioa 
extends  over  the  city  and  the  surrounding  waters.  The  of. 
nces  are  not  largely  paid,  nor  accompanied  by  much  patron- 
age;  and  the  candidates  are  rarely  considered  to  be  invested 
with  much  additional  dignity  by  their  civic  functions. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

P^olaticm  of  New.York.--Stranr)w.  Resident.,  Merchant.  Tradew.-Public  Coiitct 
Mces,  Omnibuses,  Hackney-coaches.— Private  Equipages.  CarriiMssSr^^i'^ 
Male  and  Female  Society/Diflerences  between  trm^PriVatl^  &.  bICI*;;;; 
Suppers-Comparison  between  EnjUsh  and  American  Soi>"es-ExSVe«^ 
fase  fintertamments  given.-Condition  of  the  humbler  oS  in  AmK"  PWit?r^ 
Parties  Cpnsenratives,  Reformers,  R«licals,  AmericanO?^™,  STiS^r^^SS! 
focoju-Pohtics  of  the  wealthy  Mercantile  ciasses.-cSsTs  of  he  fSferif^ 

ESfn     i^/^J"  '"^^  conflicting  Statements-Attendance  at  the  PoUsdunw  t£ 
^J^^iZ^^^"^!^^  °L'  P"""""  Re?'«raiion  of  Voters—Vote  by  Ballot^?  m! 

Zw&r^^^^vT^'i  *:^y  ""•?  "  '?°'  ""^^'y  »  America -SucS2L"f 
ine  wmgs  m  the  New-Yoric  Election— Intoxication  of  Joy  in  the  triumnhiuitprrhf 

^Sd'aT"^'"''  "'  *'°"'''='"  Demoustration-NSKhS^ffi??^* 

The  population  of  New-York  is  estimated  at  present  to  be  i 
httle  short  of  300,000.  Of  these  perhaps  there  are  20,000  ! 
lorei^ers,  including  Eaglish  and  persons  from  Canada  and 
the  British  possessions,  and  30,000  strangers  from  othep 
states  of  the  Union,  making  therefore  the  fixed  resident  pop, 
elation  250,000,  and  the  floating  population  about  5ofo00 
more,  ihe  greatest  number  of  these  are  engaged  in  com, 
merce  or  trade,  with  a  due  admixture  of  professional  men,  as 
clergy,  physicians,  and  lawyers.  But  among  them  all  there 
are  lewer  than  perhaps  in  any  other  community  in  the  world 


46 


iTATB  OF  NKW-YORK. 


who  live  Without  any  ostensible  avocation     THa  nnK-- 
capuahsts  still  take  a  part  in  the  b  Jnerproceedin^  of* 
the  day;  and  men  who  have  professedlv  rPtirpH  !.  5? 
no  counting-house  or  mercant^  3Cnf  Ltllf  r.^^^^^^ 
«o  much  of  the  relish  for  profitable  occuTafoX^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
mmgle  freely  with  the  merchants,  and  are  coitlv  VnlT 
to  be  the  buyers  and  sellers  of  st^ck,  in  fLdToTsl^^^^^^^^ 
companies,  canals,  railroads,  banks,  &c.  '  ' '" 

hurry  and  bustle ;  the  very  carts,  LTead  of  beinrdra^^^^^^^^^ 
horses  at  a  wa  king.pace,'are  often  met  at  a  galfop  anS  af 

TnT^'"  ^  ^^^^  *'°*'  ""''^  the  carter  standin|T?he  ?rom 
and  drmng  by  reins.     Omnibuses  are  as  numerous  ^  /„' 
London,  many  of  them  drawn  by  fow  horsertholf.i^ 
carriages  are  inferior  to  the  English  onTs    TaAnl^    *^ 
es  are  also  abundant,  and  superior  irev^yVespeXL^^^^^ 

are  few°"-H  '^f^'^'  ^^*^  P"'«*«  carriages! whTch! however 
are  few  and  plam,  generally  with  a  black  coachhmn  In^' 

foo  man,  v.uthout  display  of  ifvery  or  armorL  beariZ  add 
ed  to  gigs  and  other  vehicles,  make  up  a  crowd  of  S' 
ances  through  the  public  streets,  which!  from  ^IIT"^- 
ment,  occasions  as*^much  rattlii  g  S  as^n  thp  ^  /T^" 
tling  parts  of  PiccadiUy  or  ChelpsMe.  The  whSe  nf  t^Jf ' 
population  seen  in  the  streets  seem  to  enjoy  thirbuitlfn:? 
add  to  It  by  their  own  rapid  pace,  as  if  XVwere  all  ^o^"^ 
to  some  place  of  appointment,  and  were  hir^w  f  ? T^ 
the  apprehension  of  being  too  late  ^^^  ""^  ""^*' 

Of  the  men  thus  seen  in  public,  the  ereater  nnr*  „.-      « 
dressed  and  the  more  fasWonable  l^^g^eCZe^'p^^^ 
pensively  than  the  same  classes  in  Enrfand      Rl«T  i  fj 
18  the  almost  universal  wear,  and  for  tht  finL*  J  ^•''^?*'* 
of  thi«  the  most  extravagSt^r'iceTi'e%'air  F'rSt2 
cloaks,  with  velvet  or  fur  collars  and  linings  and  rih. 
sels,  are  more  numerous  than  with  us  •  a„d?hp  wh 'i       ^^'" 
aspect  of  the  moving  crowd  indLte;  greater  ^vtvTnH 
much  more  regard  to  personal  appearaSce     tK^I^'    "*^ 
not  generally  as  handsome,  howev^e^rfas  the;  ar?^^  "" 
ed.     An  almost  universal  paleness  if  countenanr^        ''" 
without  the  least  tinge  of  ruddiness  or  colour  Teinar^^^^^^^^^ 
care  and  anxiety  are  also  deeply  furrowed  on' browHo^vet 
bearing  the  impress  of  age ;  and  a  ceneral  aloiZZ     ?  ^ 
o  countenance  is  the  rul^  ind  hi^Sy  of  4^^^^^^^^^^ 
ness  of  appearance  the  exception.  ^  cneerful- 

The  women  far  exceed  the  men  in  the  costliness  of  thci. 


rSMAUl   BBAUTY   PRKTALBNT. 


49^ 


•     dresses  and  in  the  gayety  of  their  walking  apparel.     Then* 
18  perhaps  no  city  in  the  world  in  which  so  many  exDen- 
sively-dressed  ladies  may  be  seen  walking  or  shopping   L 
on  a  fine  morning  may  be  met  with  in  Broadway,    liich 
and  bright-coloured  silks,  satins,  and  other  similarly  costlv 
material,  with  ermine-lined  cloaks  and  the  most  expensive 
lurs ;  white,  pink,  and  blue  satin  bonnets,  with  ostrich  feath- 
ers  and  flowers  of  the  first  quality,  are  worn  by  all  who  as- 
same  to  be  genteel  or  rank  in  the  class  of  ladies,  and  the 
whole  force  of  the  wardrobe  seems  to  be  exhausted  in  the 
walking  costume.    The  women,  moreover,  are  much  hand- 
sonier  than  the  men.     They  are  almost  uniformly  good- 
poking;  the  greater  number  are  what  would  be  called  in 
iingland  "  pretty  women,"  which  is  something  between 
good.lookmg  and  handsome,  in  the   nice  distinctions  of 
Deauty.     This  uniformity  extends  also  to  their  figures,  which 
are  almost  universally  slender  and  of  good  symmetry.    Very 
lew  large  or  stout  women  are  seen,  and  none  that  we  should 
call  masculine.     A  more  than  usual  degree  of  feminine  del- 
icacy,  enhanced  by  the  general  paleness  of  complexion  and 
siightness  of  figure,  is  particularly  characteristic  of  Ameri- 
can females  ;  and  the  extreme  respect  and  deference  shown 
to  them  everywhere  by  men  has  a  tendency  to  increase  that 
delicacy,  by  making  them  more  dependant  on  the  attention 
and  assistance  of  others  than  EngUsh  ladies  of  the  samA 
class  usually  are.  ^ 

It  is  in  private  society,  however,  that  one  can  best  judge 
of  bo^ ;  and  the  result  of  my  observation,  after  having  sefn 
inuch  of  them  m  domestic  circles,  and  in  large  and  fwhion- 
able  parties,  was  this  :  as  wives  and  mothers?  the  American 
women  appear  to  be  exsraplary  in  the  extreme;  and  while 
the  interior  of  theur  dweUings  exhibits  the  greatest  attention 
to  everything  that  can  give  domestic  comfort,  an  air  of  mo" 
priety  and  decorum  reigns  over  aU  their  establishments. 
In  the  private  and  socia  visits  which  we  were  permitted  to 
pay  to  some  of  the  families  with  whom  we  were  on  the  most 
intimate  footing,  nothing  could  surpass  the  general  good 
sense,  amiability,  mtelligence,  and  benevolence  which  mark- 

men,  and  often  superior  to  them,  in  the  extent  of  their  read- 
ing and  the  shrewdness  of  their  observations;  and  though 
there  is  everywhere,  on  the  part  of  American  females,  a^far 
ZuZtr^  '"'"  *^'"''  a  shrinking  away  from  any  share  in 
thlTt  ,r^«"«*^°«  (the  notion  studiously  impressed  on 
them  by  the  men.  and  not  nnwJUm^Kr  »«*^-';„;^-^  ...- .,_   _. 


^»  STATI  OF  NIW-YORK. 

•elvei,  being  that  it  is  unbecoming  the  timid  and  reUrino 
dehcacy  of  the  female  character  tl  medZ  wS.  poS 
matters),  yet  whenever  they  ventured  to  pn«s  this  baS 
and  mdirectly  develop  their  views  on  public  artairrtTere 
.eemed  to  me  n  clearness  and  a  soundness  in  thei^remarlS 

tl^e  sihW?''Ti^  rT^  ?'''  ^^^'^"g'^  understanding  of 
the  subject.     The  leading  features  of  the  female  character 

social  cheerfulness,  unostentatious  hospitality,  and  moral  and 
religious  benevolence.     There  are  perhaps^n  "mes  the 
number  of  women  in  good  society  in  New^-York  wrLlr 
est  themselves  in  the  sSpport  and  ^directiol  of  morlubTec  i 
and  benevolent  institutions  that  could  be  found  in  aSy  dtv 

aretusr:nT'.''""r'^'"°P^'  ^^  "^^^^  the  hXndl 
are  busily  engaged  in  their  mercantile  or  professional  avo- 

ed  r;h7h.l^T^°"  °1*^«  ^«^^^»^  they  Lquire  is  direl 

LV^h:rtbrc;t:;ei;r'^^^^^^  °^  ^^^^  - '-  -^^^  -^^^ 

Li  the  gayer  parties  of  fashionable  soirees  and  balls  the 
Indies  do  not  appear  to  so  much  advantage  asTthesSnnv 
promenade  or  m  the  private  circle  at  hom^e!    Thci  LhTo? 
able  parties  are  as  injudiciously  crowdedwith  t™  fashion- 
than  the  rooms  wiU  Lommo/ate  as t  London    tL'eH 
four  hundred  is  not  an  unusual  numbe,  of^^ets^  l^d 
though  the  rooms  are  spacious,  vet  the  rrowi  p"®*"  '   ^*» 
fortably  great  that  the  dancer^'hl^VstrTy'r  Zto'^^X 
a  small  cn-de  m  the  middle  of  the  dense  m^s  ^^me  Sose 
who  do  not  dance  must  be  content  to  remain  wedged  iSto 
one  compact  and  solid  phalanx,  from  which  tffiis  „o 
movmg,  even  for  a  change  of  position,  tiU  the  danced  over^ 
and  even  then  it  will  sometimes  take  a  quarter  of  an  hoTfd 
elbow  through  the  crowd  from  one  roorS  to  aLtheT    I  wis 
^ked,  at  one  of  these  fashionable  parties,  bralady  w™ 
there  was  m  the  scene  before  us  which  character^  h  as 
American,  and  wherein  it  differed  frorr    n  Engl^h  pitv  of 
the  ^e  number  and  description.    My  answer^C8,7at^the 
chief  pomts  of  difference  observable  to  me  wereThese :  that 
there  were  a  greater  number  of  pretty  female  fon  JL^d  fa 
ces  than  were  ever  to  be  seen  inkn  equal  number  of  ClSi 
persons,  and  especially  among  the  younger  portion^bS 
h^:JT  "'  «"«^««"^Pi^  of  st4ing\„rsu?;aisW 
^dS  nf  Tl  «^™**^"»««  «««f  ^  "^e  or  two  favoured  indS 
i^duals  of  a  large  party  at  home.     There  were  no  "fine 

Se Ta^tL^'n f  ?«^^.  r^%"^  *^**  *^™'  compr.hen<S| 
the  requisites  of  tall,  full,  and  commanding  fi^,es,  bold 


80C1ITY  IN  KBW-YORl. 


and  striking  as  well  as  beautiful  features,  rosy  colour,  ex-' 
pressive  eyes,  and  the  noble  air  and  carriage  of  a  lofty  and 
dignified  rank.  On  the  other  hand,  the  American  ladies 
were  dressed  more  in  the  extreme  of  fashion,  both  as  to 
form  and  materials ;  but  there  were  no  such  splendid  dis- 
plays of  jewels  as  one  sees  in  an  English  party.  The  dan- 
cing  was  monotonous  and  indifferent ;  partly  from  languor, 
and  partly,  it  is  believed,  from  affectation  of  indifference, 
which  is  considered  to  be  more  genteel  than  vulgar  vivacity : 
a  weakness,  no  doubt,  copied  from  the  English. 

The  gentlemen  in  these  fashionable  parties  appeared  far 
less  handsome  in  person  and  less  polished  in  manners  than 
the  ladies ;  and  many  whom  we  saw  were  evidently  very  ill 
at  ease,  and  had  their  thoughts  occupied  by  other  subjccta 
than  those  immediately  beiore  them.     The  refreshments 
were  all  substantial  as  well  as  costly ;  if  there  was  a  fault 
in  them,  it  was  that  they  were  generally  too  abundant;  and 
the  pressure  of  the  supper-rooms  most  frequently  exceeded 
that  of  the  apartments  of  the  dance.     Cardr  are  rarely  or 
never  seen,  the  influence  of  the  religious  bodies  on  public 
opmion  having  banished  these  from  general  society  ;  and  the 
propriety  of  language  among  all  classes  of  the  men  is  re- 
markable, as  not  an  oath  or  an  imprecation,  so  often  offend- 
ing the  ear  in  what  are  deemed  the  best  circles  in  England, 
anywhere  disturbs  the  general  decorum  of  the  soene.     The 
same  late  hours  as  are  followed  in  England         rtunately, 
prevail  here  ;  and  the  most  fashionable         J^^9,   tioagh  in- 
vited for  eight,  rarely  come  till  ten  or  eleven,  and  parties  of 
any  extent  in  numbers  are  not  often  broken  up  till  two  or 
three  in  the  morning. 

The  condition  of  the  more  humbi;;  classes,  as  tradesmen, 
shopkeepers,  clerks,  and  artisans,  in  oertainly  more  comfort- 
able than  that  of  the  same  classes  m  England ;  and  although 
they  are  all  at  present  mor(   or  iem  afl'ected  by  the  general 
depression  of  trade,  occasiuntH^i  bv  the  late  pecuniary  crisis  , 
in  the  States,  from  which  Npw- York  has  suffered  more  exten- 
sively, perhaps,  than  any  other  city  in  the  Union,  yet  all  seem 
to  possess  good  dwellings,  abundant  clothing,  and  an  ample 
supply  of  food.     y<»u  do  not  see  anywhere  in  the  streets 
persons  asking  a^ns,  or  labouring  under  any  visible  want  of 
the  necessaries  of  life  ;  nor  do  the  offensive  and  disgusting 
scenes  so  often  witnessed  in  the  great  thoroughfares  of  Lon- 
don, and  the  other  large  cities  and  towns  of  Britain,  in  the 
persons  of  drunken  men  and  women,  with  filthy  and  ragged 
children.  dpnriv*>H  r>f  thoiV  Ana  Uv  tk^  {»««.*._ .__  _/• 

Vol.  I.— a  5 


JIT 


60 


STATE  OF  NBW-TORK. 


I 


\ 


parents,  ever  meet  the  eye  in  the  great  public  thorouirhfaret 

^^  S  V'^'i^r/  '"r  '^"".*^^  painful  specta^r^ 
yt«mg  and  miserable  females  earning  a  wretched  and  pre- 
canons  subsistence  by  the  wages  of  prostitution  ^^at 
nr^?H  ?^  ^""f  *^°*^  P^'^^'^y  "^^  intemperance,  and  that 
KIT"  ^i"^'"""  ^T^'P^y  *^^««  i»  t^«  1«^  frequent. 
»1^  K^Tf  ^^'\'''^^'  ^^^'^  ''^^  ^^  "«  do"l>t ;  but  they  do 
not  obtrude  themselves  on  the  public  eye  in  everv  part  of  the 

fn  S  V ''w    1  *^'y  ^\^"  ^^"^°" '  ^°d  afte?  resTd  n| 
Zl^Z'7  '^  ^''',  ^"""^  "'*'"*^«'  ^^^S  out  ahnost  every  day. 

mZZ^r'^l  7''^  P"'  ^^  *^"  5?^«  i»  succession,  we 
did  not,  m  the  whole,  see  so  many  of  either  of  the  cl^es 

^irZTZZ^  "  "''^"'  ■"°"^«''  """^  "»-  ^i"- 

no^'*®'^."®  ^®'^'  a«  t^ere  are  in  England,  three  poKtical 
paxties  Conservatives,  Moderate  Reformers  and  Radkab- 
and  followmg  after  the  bad  example  of  the  mother  eo^t^; 

Stfr^f'r""\^'*''"r.^^  *°  '^^  "°  ^^t»e  and  no  meriJ 
\V^t!  .^  t^  T^^'\  T^"  Conservatives  are  here  caUed 
le&^t^'^^'TA^^'''"'^^ "^ °«"^^ Democrats ;  and 
en  tS^fri"  are  called  Loco-focos,  a  recent  name,  bestowed 
©n^them  from  this  mcident:  a  public  meeting  of  the  Demo- 
erate  was  called  at  Tammany  Hall,  their  usfal  p  ace  oHs 

STeToimlf  ^f  ^'^'^'  wishing  to  obtain^rsession 
effect  tht^'^"'  """^  bemg  strong  enough  in  numbers  to 
laTJ  \.^y  ^°'^^'  resorted  to  the  following  stratagem" 
the1riHn:L"f  *'^  ''^tl*  ''•^^y  ^^'  furnish^d^ToSHf 
focorand  e^nTr'  l^g*!!-"^^*^^^.  ^hich  are  called  loco- 
comr  ved  hv  o  ^^""^  ^  ^°^  ""^  *^«««  in  his  pocket,  they 
rSt^'of^tK'°"'r-'^  arrangement,  to  extingu  sK 
Sg/^Tt  Ihole  o^^^^  '^'  proceedings  of  th^even- 

d^kness,  thTlat  Ll^^^^^^^^  ^'^'  ^  "««' 

secret,  wint  aw^y  'wS  aI  p  ?""?'  7  u^  "^^'I  "°*  ^^  '^^ 
their  Retirement,  bght^d  alUhi^T?'  **^'"/  advantage  of 
kindled  the  lights^in  eve  y t"^^^^^^  ^^  Z''^  '^''\'^' 
which  they  voted  into  the  Sir  „  ^  ^VT^  ^*^' 

body,  pro/osed  and  carried  theS  o     '°'^'-  ""^i  '''""'  °^ 
resoLLr,  and  sent  S  oul^^iS  tr  Jp^^^^^^^^^ 
mg  day  as  the  resolutions  of  the  ereat  B?l      V  .^'' 

held  by  public  advertisemen1aXmaSr&T%r^^^^^ 
as  might  be  expected,  brought  deserved  disc,.dit  on  thi 
party  practising  it,  and  has  iked  upon  them  a  naL  wV  k 
unites  opprobrium  and  ridicme  in  one  ^^  ''^''*» 

The  Conservatives  axe  here  caUed  Whigs;  and  they  cor. 


~i?iM?^I«LITIC8. 


m 


rwpond  in  political  character  and  sentiment  with  the  WhiM 
of  England   being  qu  te  as  loud  in  their  professions  oflib! 

prtSlTt^e  'of*  tTr""'^^  ^^  "^  thenT^uTimo 
practice.     Une  of  the  leadmg  organs  lately  published  a 

very  remarkable  essay,  signed  "SiSney,"  attributed  fothe 

pen  of  a  promment  leader  of  the  Whig  party,  which   be! 

sides  advocatmg  Conservative  principles  generSyTwfm  thS 

length  of  saying  that   "  experience  had  shown  thatXr! 

was  as  much  chance  of  obtaining  a  good  cS  rn^is^a  e 

by  hereditary  descent  as  by  popular  election  an^  tw  ^ 

sequendy  the  monarchical  ^rL^S^^^tfa^^^^^^^ 

erty  as  the  republican."     ^This  £>ctrine  wrso  Lc^^^^^^ 

to  the  greater  number  of  the  Whigs  that  most  of  theh-  n^ws! 

FoTcrmtf  D^  ''''V'"''  ^"'^^^^^  -i*^  such  abmtyTd 
thi  wT-  ^?^™**'''^*'°  P'"'*'  *^«*  the  young  men  amon« 
^Zl*^  felt  It  necessary  to  hold  a  public  mieting,  tS 
avow  their  participation  in  any  such  doctrine,  and  to  decla^ 
themselves  to  be  uncompromising  Republicans 

As  far,  however,  as  I  was  able  to  discover,  by  mv  inter, 
course  with  editors  and  political  men  of  aU  p^Js  Ind 
^  compar^on  of  their  journals,  I  found  the  American 
Whigs  to  be  qmte  as  conservative  as  their  nLtsTkes  a^ 
home.  They  are  nearly  all  in  favour  of  gi^nTwealth  *a 
ZZT""  7^  dkect  influence  than  it  now  p^sTeC  in 
the  suffrage  for  elections,  and  would  be  fdadtolxoL\l 

iTp^tSntv  «^  f  -^°, ^-^ notsoJlrLl^d :m!r„n 
ui  property,  ihey  are  agamst  any  chanffes  that  wonW  in. 
crease  the  power  or  influlnce  of  the  peo|le.  ThTy  areTn 
andTJ^  ™jnopoHes  in  chartered  or  incorporated  banks 
and  agamst  free  trade,  except  iii  their  own  products  and 
mantrfactures.  They  sympathize  ahnost  uniJeSly  wTth 
SL  ^'^Pf?  m  England;  they  think  that  even  W 
Grey  carried  the  principles  of  reform  too  far  and  wn.  W  k? 

liament,  or  for  granting  the  vote  bv  baUot      Thit  • 

Lor^     tLv  I,  *^^  constitution  of  the  Hous^  of 

l^el,  „n.  u..,  vviin  reierence  to  the  other  classes  of  thT  com: 


52 


STATE  OP  NHW-TORK. 


"otVng,:^^' "  '"^  ''•"'•"  "•'  '"■8''  C'»-™«-  Whig. 
Nel^rS/Hnf  "■"  P™^  "  ""'y  '"'■"i'leraWe  in 

in  d.ort,  aU  ^hZ^7SCki^a,^^"^F"'''^''- 
genteel  portion  of  societyV  eXr  rTaUv  en..^^^°""?'  "' 
convenient  to  nrofess  Wh  J„,  n         ^  «?«e"aui,  or  find  it 

prefer  Ae  te^'SS^?hf  f"mr'XflS,'r''l'1;  "S 
very  much  to  strenethen  this  m«'v  .):''"  ™»  "ontnbuted 

of  tti,  city  is  the  Soial  meSs  pZed\r« '■"''T 
Jackson  and  Mr.  Van  BnTAn  ™r^f  Pursued  by  General 

f-ing  to  .anew  jTh^roVte  Uni  eTiS  V  "^ 
.■MMtmg  on  the  payment  of  aU  smn^  d„e  to  1.^"'''' ""* 
ment,  whether  fw  the  sale  ofV.T^  j  .°  "'°  Rovern- 
other  sources  of  revenr^in  .  ™^:,r"''''  °"  ^oods,  or 
these  measures  had  ft" "ffeS  of  h^l„  "  T'^-^y-  T*"" 
crisis  which latelv»(&^.!3.r-      ""•'""S  *«  oommercial 

other,  there  S^?ol.*i.,«T'^  '"""  '"«'  «"<1 '»  *« 
of  this  crisis  ^t&strSS'hab.^vr'n™? ""'<»'•«» 
within  the  last  few  wis  to  h»v^  I  ?'"''  °."  5'™"  ««■» 
beyond  their  melTs^o^S-iL  Wond  tS  •'"'  "'  "?««■  ""^g 
ing  money  before  i  was™fqS  'adTr'"''"''?'''* 
appearance  of  men  who  had  rJ^nL^i  .  "TP^S  "P  «•"> 
they  were  onlyS  The  a^t  oft^^^^if^rhem"?,.:"''' 

of  disbZment,  ™' 5,^1,™^^.;^.^'."'^"^ '"«"'"' 
juid  «.  long  as  'the  credUsystem  aulwed  ft™?  ""'"»' 

single  iity     Tho^  Zo  b»H        ""■''  ^T^'"^  ""P""!  «f  «>» 


PECUNIARY  BMBAREAaSMBNTS. 


oa 


vestment ;  but,  where  all  were  sellers  and  none  buyers, 
prices  were  ruinously  low :  other^  who  had  large  stocks  of 
goods  on  hand  from  the  excessive  importations  of  the  pre. 
ceding  year,  tried  to  raise  money  by  forced  sales,  but  ther© 

Z  ♦«  P  7^'i '  ^"*'' '"  '^^  "^^*  °^  ^1  *^'  ^  the  debt, 
due  to  England  were  so  much  larger  than  could  be  paid  in 
the  produce  of  the  country,  for  which  the  markets  at  homo 
were  dechning,  the  remittance  of  specie  became  the  only 
S?-  «f/f  taming  the  credit  of  the  mercantUe  body,  and 
this  could  be  obtained  only  by  immense  sacrifices  of  prop, 

if  ff  V'^"J'''"'''?'P"  ^^'^'*'™  ^"  I  ^a^e  seen  and  heard,  that 
haA-F'^^'^T^^^  ^^®  ^"^*«*^  States  had  never  taken  the  Lteps 
ne  did,  m  refusing  to  renew  the  charter  of  the  United  States' 

i«.?^'«f"^?!i"S  *^®  government  deposites,  and  demanding 
payment  of  the  reveaue  in  metallic  currency,  this  commer- 
cial  crisis  would  nevertheless  have  stiU  come,  though  not 
pernaps  so  soon  ;  because  its  real  causes  were  the  immense 
sacrifice  of  property  by  th-  f :.«  ;  the  drain  of  capital  neces- 
sary to  replace  what  wa        stroyed,-  the  wild  and  almost 
mad  speculations  indulg.  d  ..    ^y  the  people,  merchants  be- 
coming  purchasers  of  land  in  provinces  and  places  they  had 
never  seen,  and  giving  almost  any  price  to-day,  in  the  hope 
that  they  might  sell  it  for  a  better  price  to-morrow  ;  never 
intending  to  occupy  it,  but  to  pass  it  on  from  hand  to  hand 
tmit  lound  a  purchaser  whose  payment  was  so  extravagant 
th»t  he  could  get  no  one  to  take  it  from  him.     In  this  pub. 
lie  dehrium,  farmers  abandoned  the  tillage  of  their  soil,  and 
became  speculators  and  traders  also  ;  so  that  cultivation  be- 
mg  neglected,  the  country,  the  best  adapted  in  the  world  to 
supply  aU  other  nations  with  its  surplus  grain,  became  so  an* 
productive  of  the  first  necessary  of  life  as  to  be  obliged  lo  im- 
port  gram  from  the  Baltic,  several  cargoes  of  which  arrived 
m  this  port  during  this  and  the  preceding  year.    The  gov- 
ernment  measures  no  doubt  hastened  the  crisis  onward, 
though  It  did  not  create  it ;  and  the  natural  unwiUingness  of 
au  parties  to  reproach  themselves  for  their  own  /oUy  and  ex- 
travagance,  which  were  the  real  causes  of  the  evU  after  aU, 
made  them  the  more  ready  to  charge  all  these  evils  on  the 
government,  so  that  General  Jackson  and  Mr.  Van  Buren 
Jiave  hterally  been  made  the  scape-goats  by  which  the 
merchants,  traders,  bankers,  and  speculators  of  all  kinds 
endeavoured  to  get  rid  of  the  burden  of  their  own  sins  by 
placmg  them  on  the  heads  of  the  two  presidents  named. 
— s  ...jjju.  „e  o^pcuicu,  tiic  puny  oi  the  rich  have  the 


64 


8TATB  OF  NBW-YORK. 


greatest  number  of  newspapers  arranged  on  their  side  •  f». 
It  IS  by  the  rich  that  the  newspapers  we  everyXre  cw/^ 
supported.  The  mere  sale  of  a  paper  here,  L TEnX/ 
^c^o^^  "^P'^oduetive  of  profifradvertis'ements  aS^^ 
f^  h.l^T  •'  '^^rr^  "^^^  '^«d  by  the  rich  will  there! 
thl  ,^K  ^*^  ^""^T^^  ^^'^  ^^^  ^°'  advertisements,  and  here 
S^  thtl'^r^T.'  ""  ^'"  T  '^'  ««^^"««*  traders  adv/r! 
«^bW  if  ?  ;  ^^^  gams  thus  acquired  by  a  newspaper 
enablmgit  to  be  more  profuse  in  its  expenditure  it  cTn 
command  the  earliest  news,  the  most  correc'^^^^eporL  of  nub^ 

LC^^iT'  «"^^«^«ld'  ^---  «U  its  dep'Sen^Peon: 
auoted  with  more  talent,  because  it  has  more  funds  at  its 

morJL  I'J''^  "^  ^'''.  *^^  ten  large  daily  papers,  five 
WhZ*^?*S^  r  \^  T"'"8'  *^«^°ted  to  the  pLty  of  the 
tweef 'trem.'*^!*^'  "^l"^''  °^  characteristic  dS"ereUsbe! 
H«v«f  i  «  u'  ^^"^^  there  are  only  two  large  daily  nanera 
devoted  to  the  party  of  the  Democrats,  or  th^t  of  tUS 

tien  cTeSvrSi^l  ^""^'^  «^°^  ^^  the  Whig  papers 

^nes^o^t-glinT^Crp-^  a%-Ll\o^fS^^^ 
a^:LTdSrh^  -«to?its™„S,Trgf-- 
aLo^  hm  i  ^  ^^'^  J''"'"^^*  conducted  with  great  aWlitv 
w^Ls  dpn^  vituperative  style  with  which  most  S^the  pS 

feasbnsoTl^S  ^^'''-  ^oweasy  it  is  to  combine  loud  pro- 

mrrha'&i^:^^^^ 

pri!:'Aout  ttene  "c7fPTS'  Y"  ""^  ««^<^  «t  the 
papers  V^hhled^^Tllnf''^^^^^^  ^'^  '^^^'^  "y 

Jtri^very  small  in  sL  a^d  i'  ffl  •  ^^-^P'^^^  "^*'^-  ^hese 
profits  Lt  adm  ttinrof  an  ^^f'^'T  '"^  «»«"^gement,  their 
talent,  though  one  V  th?mt^^^^^^  expenditure  for  great 

30,000  copies  Zlv     fe  Ih.        '  •''  '^^  '°  ''"^^^ate 
pies  aaiiy.     iheir  cheap  price  occasions  them 


3TATB  XLEOTION. 


55 


wJthV  1        ""^'^^^  **y  ^^*  ^"°»Wer  classes ;  and  therefore 
with  only  one  exception,  these  cheap  papers  are  DemoS 
ic  and  two  or  three  of  them  what  are  called  Wfoco 
They  have  not  talent  enough,  however,  employed  on  them  to 
give  them  much  mfluence  in  political  circles ;  Ld  theSef 

and  then  m  their  containing  those  police  reports  of  cJfmes 
and  quarrels  which,  unhappUy,  interest  so  Jge  aportToTof 
mankind,  and  for  which  the  conductors  of  n^ews^rs  ^^ 
unhappUy,  find  it  to  their  interest  or  profit  to  ca?er  X 
only  very  clever  paper  of  this  class  that  I  saw  w^oke  that 
IS  now  extmct.    It  wag  called  «  The  Plain  Dealer"^  1„H 

fc'if  SL^L'^L'^^^r »  n^  °^  *^«  mos^p^  pom' 
icai  writers  m  the  country.    It  was  an  exact  copv  of  the 

London  Examiner  in  shape,  size,  typography,  and  Lan«^ 

ment,  and  was  written  in  the  DeikocraS.  ?««;,  andS"fm 

But  h  wL?^''  f  '^'  "?^^^ ''  ^^^  ^^^"^^  ^  ^  bestTys 

S««niv-  *'^""»/°'  ^g"  testes  which  the  annals  of 
crime  and  vice  can  alone  supply  ;  and  its  very  puritv  and  e^ 
ceUence  were  therefore  the  caies  of  its  faZFeUTj^' 
who  might  have  relished  its  talent  a^d  wit  if  Uhkd  WnTm 
ployed  in  the  advocacy  of  their  interests,  would  not  patrT 
iiise  It  because  it  was  Democratic;  and\he  ofhrdas  es' 
though  approving  of  it*  politics,  fomid  it  duU  i^thou   thS 

rd^^iTsViTt?^"^^  ^"'  ''"^  *'^  ^p^'  ^^"  ^"-'^^ 

I  had  an  excellent  opportunity  of  seeing  the  working  of 
he  pohtical  machine,  and  the  conflict  of  ^pposiirpi^^^^^^ 
m  a  general  election  for  the  State  Legislate  whfchoc 

N^^mbT  He"  S?  ""^ll^  ^  ^^^^'^ '^'  in  the  m^l  o^^^ 
J^rfv.    q!\  Heretofore  the  composition  of  the  Legislature 

Assembly  and  Senate,  as  weU  as  the  governor,  was  iS 
^at  of  the  Congress  or  Legislature  of  the  generd  go;ein! 
B^e;?'r°'-^  • ''  °'-  ^^^^"Jn^We  to  the  existence  of  M^Van 

wrTught  ^^'Sr'"'^""-  •?.".  °^""^««  ^  P"b"«  opinio"" 
3v  SDokln  ^7™''°'^^  ^r^'^''  °^  ^^i«li  I  have  pre- 
fn  V!.7    P^®"'  ^^^  occasioned  such  a  feeling  of  hostilitv 

iSufferinS  tw^v,  ?Su^^'^^  ^"  ^'^^'^^  ^«'e  more  or  less 
tWs  S^  '^!ffY^^  determined  to  avail  themselve.  of 
houses  of  ItaeLSflt  «°°?Pl^t« /.^novation  of  their  two 
dominan  '^T^^^g^^?*"'?.  »>y  making  their  own  oarty  pre. 
aominant.    «u«uramgiy,  the  note  of  preparation  Was  sound- 


56 


STATU  OF  NEW-YORK. 


ed  early  by  all  their  organs  of  the  oreas-  anA  *.,i.i 
m«ee,  were  forming  ifT J  Z  Sry?Md  ™eS 

forehnnrl    n*  ^t  .t\.      ""J  """5  "i  tne  state  of  parties  be- 

u  It  were  earned  in  favour  of  th^  \iffw,«^  AT  ^*' .  "" »  ^"»' 
instantly  be  restnrpH  tl^.  u-  u  .  ^'  *^®  "^^^o"  <^ould 
pros^erfty .    but  thft  If  «!  ^^}^^'  ^^^^^  «^  commercial 

ocratic  party  in  which  Anoh  ^««*,!  ^  ^^  ®*  *"®  ^®™* 

which  tVcould  etHe  S  ^^  IT^^Z'^  %  ''°"^ 

LTd  me  of  tJ  "'^f^'°'  ^'^^"'^  ''  ««  constantly  re- 
Si  the  HWn?  .  f  ^^""f^l  e'^^ndless  imputations  heaped 
on  the  liberal  party  m  India  by  the  advocates  of  the  gov- 


POLITICAL  MBBTINOd,  AND  THIIR  OBJECT.  67 

ernment  in  that  country,  when  the  press  first  began  to  caU 
public  attention  to  public  abuses  there,  and  of  tlTe  r^srep^ 
resentations  continuaUy  made  in  England  by  the  j^3 
tlT^^TV^  the  objects  and  intentions  of  thJ  oTher  i 
the  Radicak  denouncing  the  Tories  as  wanting  nothing  but 
the  restoration  of  absolute  tyranny  and  arbitrary  power 
the  Tories  denouncing  the  Radicals  as  wishing  {ox  nothing 

S'on  andlTwh"  "^/"  P'^^^'^^'  governmint,  and  reh! 
gion,  and  the  Whigs  denouncing  both,  and  praising  them- 
selves as  the  only  body  that  caS  eithir  sav?  the  ftaiTe  or 
accomplish  any  rational  improvement  in  public  affairs. 
«nf ,!  ^  5^  *  r^'^  meetings  and  appeals  was  to  select 
Ifj.  T^^""^  ^  ^'''  ^/  candidates  for  senators,  represent- 
a  ves,  sheriff,  couniy-clerk,  and  coroner,  the  elecSon  for 
aU  these  taking  place  at  the  same  time ;  though  the  State 

reoST'.^  ^^^'-^  '^'  «^""*°"  ^^^  representatives  we  e 
Srl'^^o  ^1  "'  ''T^.^'  ^^'^^"y'  th«  state  metropolis, 

Sv  and  ?ti"nffi'  "P  ?li^r^  "."^«°"'  ^^^^1«  the  mum^cip J 
body  and  its  officers  hold  their  sittings  in  New  York     The 

pStheTr  rV'5  *""  "?P°«^"S  P"^-^  havi'g'S^S;  com! 

see  elected  t^T^'^^f  ^'^""^  '^^^  P'^^^'^^^  ^^^^  to 
see  elected  as  senators,  whom  as  representatives,  and  so 

on  such  lists  are  published  in  their  respective  papere  and 
called  the  Whig  ticket  and  tfie  l^emocratic  trcke^tf^dTv- 
b7thf°?  f  w^"'  ^?  Pl*««ding  the  waUs  with  W  biS^ 
by  the  distribution  of  small  ones,  and  by  personal  eLyZ 
carried  on  with  unremitting  activity  on  both  sides  J^o^e' 
vad  on  all  whom  they  can  influence  or  persuade^o  adC 
he«  views,  and  vote  for  "the  whole  ticket"  of  the  pX 
they  espouse  as  it  is  printed.  The  voting  takes  place  bv 
wards,  there  being  fifteen  or  sixteen  wardf  in  thfs  c  ty  and 
a  votmg  place  being  apportioned  to  each  waxd,  thf'com- 

Eant  ortf  P^'y  ^'  '^"f  "^^«  ^°  ^^'^^^s  ever;  male  k- 
habitant  of  their  own  ward ;  and  as  there  is  no  ifficulty  hi 

ttketT  Xh  ^th  "''''^'  ^  P"^^"^""^  ^^«l^-tion  ZTZ 
p^tv  pin  K^  f  ^^^  ™^^"  *^  ^°te,  the  numbers  of  each 
Kric!-  T*  ^,«°r^tely  ascertained  before  as  af- 
ter  the  election,  though  there  is  no  want  of  zeal  on  each 
a^de  to  exaggerate  the  number  of  their  respective  adherents 

fjotsfpL^^^^^^  °'  ^"^"-"S  ° '^-  *°  f-r  the 

totuperintnH^r'''T  ^°  the  election,  assessors  are  chosen 
a^  the  pomn"'^n   ^  votmg  and  one  from  each  party  attends 

^owf/rtl""  ^^^''^''  ?°  '^'  ofiicial  supirintend. 
appomted  by  the  municipal  authc  '  *        -• 


VoL.1.— H 


lOrities.     xno  vo 


.tmg 


HB 


STATJB  or  NEW-YORK. 


the  counter  18  a  b^  sTatd^?  t,'^  ^'  their  places.    On 

hi»  opinion,  aTe^eU  kn^wi  if  h,T''i'"'*,  ■■"  P"»°"  ™<I 
and  fa  in  what  Tcall^  ?  !1  *"  "^a.  been  long  a  resident, 

or  ofterwise To  £Ta»f,/ef  8  T^^'kf  "«  ™!«er.  trulj 
voting  being  tliat  of  mZi!  .       ,!  """^  luaMoation  fo> 

no  property,  or  rental  «,  .«/       j         ward— there  being 

very  manife.,  defect  in  C^^lTi.^ttZ'^J'^  °" 
previous  registration  of  v«to,;       •  ' .   °*  *"*'«  w  no 

Jo  as  to  ascSaS  e?ef thfn^nr  T^  P'^^n^in^y  inquiry, 
residence;  ircSreq^uenceTwh^^^^^^  ''*^^^"«^^P'  -^ 
himself  under  any  name  thp  ZZ,'r  I  ^  Pf "°"  presents 

of  ascertaining  wheSei^  reK?"*'"*'  ^^^  "°  ™««« 
be  or  not;  if  he  calk  him^^lf  a  ^•^P^"''"^^P''«tend8to 

ship  is  demanded  byoS^^^^  «f  -tizen- 

he  declares  himself  a  resident  irthli  ?  t^^e^ct;  and  if 
of  this  is  asked  from  J^y  ot^^^^^^^^^  "°  corroboration 

this  defect,  it  is  said  t^t  in  tlo  ^^  ^" ,  ^"  consequence  of 
habited  by  thriaboutinl^l  ^«»«ely.peopIed  Wards,  in- 
grants,  th7re";er  I  i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  *he  emi- 

in  several  wards  under  diffl?p„t„  ^^  ^^®  *"^  ^^^ing 
ers,  who  have  not  been  s^mnnth^'^i  ""^^  ^'^^  ^^bour" 
have  no  legal  cll'X?e"ve"rd?^^^^^^^^^  ^J  -^« 

leans  ;  and  as  almost  »ll  ih^l^  *  "izensnip,  votmg  as  Amer- 

cratic  party,  they  aSLoaS    T  ^^^I'T^  *°  *^«  !>«"«- 

betwee^n  th^e  cSSg  Lt     ''^  '''''  ^^^^^  ^^  ?«-«' 

In  all  the  instances  that  I  witnessed  of  the  business  of 


TOTB  BY  BALLOT.  |g 

poIling~and  I  visited  many  of  the  wards  for  that  Duroose- 
itnT,t 'th'^""^  ^"'  '°"^"^^«^  ^'*h  much  more  orT  a^ 
EnTn^      tk'"^  '''"*''*'^  "^"*'^^°»  *»»«»  I  had  ever  seen  in 

fni  to  .''^  '^'''  ^°  P"*y  ^^^8««'  i«  colours  or  riS 
ands,  to  excite  party  animosity.     There  was  no^L.^v 

xX':)r  T'  ''  ^"y  '^"^-  E-"  --  came  Sedy" 
to  the  poll,  and  went  away  as  freely  froni  it  •  nnH  fl!       u  ^ 

the  greatest  number  of  caL,it"w7st^ 

he  would  vote  when  he  entered,  and  which  way  hTiad  vo^ 

ted  when  he  left,  none  offered  him  the  slightest  molestation 

m  word  or  deed,  or  even  in  gesture.     In  sL^of^he  w^ds 

where  the  emigrants  abound,  it  is  said  that  thS  ordeT'and 

excStv"''  r*/^^"^'  P'^^^'^'  ^"*  '^^''  between  iSsh 
excitabihty  and  American  rum  and  whiskey,  there  we 
sometmips  torn  garments,  and  hard  words  excLled  Tut 
sTl^  r  T^''^' P^'^^Se  is  seldom  committed  ft  is' pos- 
Bible,  therefore,  that  universal  suffrage,  annual  electiSns 
and  vote  by  ballot,  may  be  much  less  productive  of  S* 
drunkemiess  and  disorder,  than  limited  suffrage  un^^^^^^ 
elections,  and  open  voting;  for  in  Eneland   Sontla„?     i 

Jhe  machinery  of  ^.hTS  Hl^^'TnyZ:^^^^^ 
to  conceal  from  committees  o,  canvassers  how  he  meaS  to 
vote,  may  do  so  with  perfect  safety;  for,  waiHnnT  .h^ 
day  of  election,  he  mav  eo  to  the  nnll.n„  „il  ^  i  .  °° 
dcposite,  in  priit  or  inching  the  list  o?.lf.'^°5^  ""f" 
whom  he  gi/ee  his  vote,  fS  up  ^  thlt't  mttT/eo 
It,  and  no  one  would  venture  to  molest  him  ^  !f  ?  .t 
easy,  therefore,  to  secure  the  utmtt  seor^iy  l^^^T^l 

B^tK"'  "^"'T  °'  "•'  '"'"°'  ^  P'actis/d  T„  Amefica^ 
SpScit^Thre  SX'^^'I"'  "r  '"  ""»"«  ^ 

1-UI.18  oi  y^acuiixi  customers,  as  to  make  them 


eo 


8TATB   0»  NIW-YORE. 


apprehensive  of  their  losing  either  the  one  or  the  other  br 
their  manner  of  voting.     There  are  no  large   bodies   of 
workmen  so  dependant  on  their  employers  as  to  make  it  a 
matter  of  interest  to  shape  their  votes  according  to  their 
masters  wishes ;  and  as  no  one  apprehends  injury  or  ex- 
pects  benefit  from  voting  one*  way  or  the  other,  the  full 
Ireedom  of  choice  or  actual  preference  is  indulged  by  them 
and  governs  their  determination.     There  are  therefore  1,0 
motives  to  vot  ■  otherwise  than  the  inclination  dictates:  and 
the  same  absence  of  hope  of  benefit  or  fear  of  evU  takes 
avvay  all  p-ounds  for  desiring  or  affecting  secrecy.     On  the 
other  hand,  there  are  many  powerful  motives  to  induce  a 
man  to  declare  his  vote;  it  gives  him  a  claim  to  ti,e  sympa- 
thy  and  approbation  of  whichever  party  he  votes  for,  and 
admits  him  to  be  an  open  participator  of  all  their  proceed- 
mgs  and  their  pleasures;  it  relieves  the  mind  from  iho 
pamiulness  of  an  imposed  restraint,  and  it  indulges  the 
teelmg  of  political  independence.     The  ballot  is  therefore 
a  nonentity  m  America,  and  does  not  secure  secret  voting, 
because  no  one  desires  or  cares  about  securing  secrecy,    fil 
JKingland  the  same  machinery  would  enable  every  man  who 
had  reason  to  apprehend  injury  from  the  independent  exer- 
cise of  his  franchise,  to  give  his  vote  in  secret  if  he  .hose : 
and,  until  the  powerful  influences,  by  which  the  independ- 
ence of  voting  18  crushed  in  England  shall  be  neutralized 
or  removed  by  other  counteracting  causes,  the  baUot  would 
be  the  greatest  security  for  the  dependant  voter  that  could 
be  introduced;  and  none  but  those  who  wish  to  preserve 
these  evil  influences  in  full  vigour,  and  who  wish  to  coerce 
the  votes  of  their  dependants,  could  furnish  any  intelligible 
reason  against  the  immediate  adoption  of  this  security. 

In  the  elections  in  question,  which  were  carried  on  in  the 
City  of  New-York,  and  which  lasted  for  four  consecutive 
days,  the  Whigs  were,  as  they  had  anticipated,  signally  sue 
cesstul.     The  greater  importance  was  attached  to  this  sue 
cess,  first,  because  they  had  not  been  in  the  majority  before 
lor  many  years,  so  that  the  pleasure  was  altogether  new 
to  them;  secondly,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  the  president,  was  a 
native  of  this  state,  was  long  one  of  its  representatives,  and 
rehed  more,  it  is  said,  upon  its  support  for  the  continuance 
01  his  administration  than  on  any  other  three  or  four  states 
m  the  Union;   and,  thirdly,  that  the  State  of  New-York. 
from  Its  great  extent  (this  single  state  alone  having  an  area 
or  surface  nearly  equal  to  that  of  England),  its  vast  wealth. 
Its  extensive  commerce,  and  its  increasing  population,  is 


WHIO  VICTORY.  ^ 

loxicaied  with  their  success,  that  they  were  Derfectlvfron 
paroxysm  ol  delight  in  every  conceivable  form.     The  newiu 

.t^.'"  ,1  S".™/"' ''"'  «i'y.  and  ten  thousand  for  the 
a^rLx  r"  rr"*  "'»'  "«  """»"«'  «plendo,.r  of  M 
Zv  ,!f  r       '''!«'''.  "PP'o'ed  about  that  titie,  was     a  dS 

fhe^^Li""""?.  The'™,"'  ',";'  '■T'"  ""  ""=  '"""•Ph  "f 

e^:;rt;^''e"'^;;^'-rt''!hS'^;S*"  t„4  v,^  '-^J 

public  meeW,  to  dl'ermine  ySmanI"  th'ie  "^d 

^rT  S°'"«=^' ™"»y  ^•■""W  "e  celebrated  So^'ele"e 
for  ten  thousand  cannon  being  discharged  from  noint  to 
point  withm  hearing,  all  over  the  state ;  other  ""re^!  the 
Jl«min«jon  of  every  ci^y  ...vn,  and  villij^  within  iL  bou^d! 
ary.  Some  were  for  dinners,  others  for  balls  a«r«w 
process^ns,  and  some  for  all  these  united      if  aVea"  thaJ 

IL  w''*''"  ®*''*  the  intoxication  of  joy  prTdueea  bv 
the  Whig  victory  was  not  less  extravagant  "han  on  th« 
seaboard  in  th.  east ;  and  the  mode  of  dfmons  ration  theSe 
chosen  was  pecuharly  ci;aracteristic,  if  we  may  juZ  from 
the  following  paragraph,  which  appeared  in  the  New.York 
Sun  of  December  30,  1837:  •I'^ew-ifork 

"the   BI00E8T   riRE  VET. 

"The  Springfield  (Illinois)  Journal  gives  notice  thatnn  »».--•  u.i.  ^ 
of  Janaary  next-wind,  weather,  and  "now  Derm  Htini  °"*e  eighth  day 
ne  will  be  set  on  fire,  in  commemoration  n?fi,^r«'^?.*^''^""^  P^a'- 
New-York.  The  priirie  is  a£t  thi^«  hLt  F^'^\  ^^'^  victory  in 
average  breadth  of  fron  te"  to  tweSv  m.S'^''^4'"i^*'  '°"»'  ^"^  «n 
at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evenhig  "         ^  "''^'-    ^^^  ^^^  ">  ^  "ghted 

But  the  effervescence  sobered  down  ffradimllv  oo  ♦»,«  ♦•     ' 
for  action  approached,  and  as  theT^f  of  au\es^^^^^^^^^ 

6 


9m  sTATi  or  nsw-torx. 

diolly  entertained.  In  a  week  or  two  after  this,  the  wholo 
seemed  to  have  passtd  away  like  an  unremembered  dtenm  j 
80  much  are  the  people  of  this  city  the  creatures  of  impulse : 
easily  excited,  and  as  easily  cahned ;  and  passing  with 
amazmg  rapidity  from  the  most  intense  degree  of  earnest 
interest  in  any  given  subject,  to  its  opposite  state  of  entire 
indiiterence  to  the  same. 


CHAPTER  V. 

l»'E  ^.wrr.**"'  »  "  \''  •'*  °^  ?  f  "*  P«M.-SentinienU  of  leading  Men  ii  Con- 

b5Si-     M?nP„L--^'*'-~5^*"V^!  of  Democrats  in  favoar  »f  the  Ca3n 
Rebeto,— Mr.  O'ConnaU  denounced  at  tEe  MeeUnc  aa  an  Abolitioniat  —iLiiiri  n™- 

Amid  the  political  anomalies  which  tvery  day  struck  me 
with  surprise,  there  was  none  so  remarkable  as  the  deep- 
rooted  and  apparently  ahnost  unconquerable  prejudice  so 
prevalent  among  persons  of  all  political  parties  on  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery.  With  the  Conservatives,  thhi  question  of 
slavery  is  regarded  as  one  of  those  domestic  institutions 
which  It  18  not  desirable  to  disturb,  and  the  greater  number 
of  them  are  averse  even  to  its  discussion  in  any  manner 
whatever.  With  the  Democrats  it  is  also  regarded  as  a  do- 
mestic  institution,  over  which  each  state  has  sole  jurisdio- 
tion ;  and  by  them  it  is  considered  an  infringement  of  state- 
rights  for  any  one  state  to  meddle  with  the  question  of  sla- 
very  in  any  other.  So  imperfect  are  their  notions  of  free- 
dom,  as  the  "  natural  and  inalienable  right  of  every  man  " 
according  to  the  terms  of  their  own  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence,  that  they  scarcely  consider  it  to  be  a  blot  on 
theur  Republican  escutcheon,  that  the  several  states  of  the 
Union  m  which  slavery  still  exists  should  hold  so  many 
thoiwands  of  their  fellow-men  in  unjust  and  unwilling 
bondage.  But  what  is  perhaps  most  surprising  of  all  is 
that  so  large  a  number  of  the  clergy,  and  especially  those 
ot  the  Episcopal  Church,  including  those  who  call  them- 


ABOUTIOMISIC.^^  M 

•elvM  Evangelical,  ahould  be  not  merely  paUiators  of  thii. 
state  of  slavery,  but  advocates  for  its  confinuance  "nd  d  n 
reoators  of  all  public  discussion  or  a^tation  orthe  subiecf " 
so  that  ,f  the  RepublLans  imderstanJ  civil  and  politS  liL^ 
.tL  r^r^^'f'  the  Christian  professors  see^m  to  ml': 

standing  th,.  however,  there  is  a  large,  though  not  an  influ- 
ential,  body  of  abolitionists  in  New- York,  who  have  a  w.eklv 
newspaper  called  "The  Emancipator,"  devoted  to  the  S 
vocacy  of  their  opmions ;  another,  entitl.  d  "  Human  Rights.'* 
^^ATrS^  n^  same  views;  and  another  weekly  pap.^, 
lish.1 1  if  Z^^7''^  American,"  edited,  printed,  and  pub-' 
lished  wholly  by  free  negroes,  and  most  respect ^Iv  written 
and  conducted.  But  these  are  in  peat,  thou  au<  fervid 
odium  with  the  richer  portions  of  the  mer  antile  c<  'mu- 

by'^;eco^i^^^^^  K^  ??^"^'"«  '^^^  ««"^  '«^     ««»•    'ler. 

oy  recognising   the   abolitionists ;    and  as  ihc    ;.«v/sr   new 
chiefly  subsist  by  the  profits  deri;ed  from  con     vcial  Sat 

A  tragical  occurrence  took  place  during  my  stay  in  New- 
York,  which  brought  this  question  very  prmninemly  bS 
the  public  It  was  this:  a  minister  of  th?  GZertLR?v 
Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  was  engaged  as  the  editor  of  i  reli^ml; 
ne^vspaper  at  the  town  of  It.  Louis,  and  in  he  slavS 
of  Missourj.     In  this  state  the  mob  had  burned  a  coWd 

to  trial.     Mr.  Lovejoy  condemned  this  act,  and  reproved  the 

he  had  done,  for  their  un  ustifiable  conduct.  In  consequent 
of  this,  the  mob  themselves  retaliated  on  Mr  LoS  b^ 
attacking  his  house,  breaking  up  his  press,  and  throw^g  it 
5"    *     iTP^f  '"*°  ^^"^  "^^'■'  f«r  which  he  could  get  no^re. 

poS  si?e'of  ^h  T°"'^  ^°  ^^  *°^"  °^  A^*°»'  ««  the  0% 
mZ!  %  ^  Mississippi  River,  and  in  the  free  state  of 
nhnois  Even  iiere,  however,  his  advocacy  of  abolition  oc- 
casioned the  mob  to  destroy  his  press  a  second  time     anoth. 

ces  ako^'T;^  ?K  ''P^"°'  '^'''  ^"^  '^'y  ^'«^«  this  in  p  e- 
ces  also.     A  fourth  press  was  purchased  to  reDlaeo  thi«i  W 

when  It  arrived  at  Alton,  and  before  i?  was  Jver  uled  «^ 

rsL'v1;^'^';'\^*°'^  ^".^^^^^  ^^  was  with  a^ett 
destroy  it,  and  whatever  else  the  store  contained      Th^v 

i'^"^'^'  ^"»°  lanciea  liiey  had  an  interest  in  sla- 


^M 


STATK   OF  MEW- YORK. 


very  being  undisturbed  ;  but  on  this  occasion  Mr.  Loveior 
and  his  friends  determined  to  defend  the  store,  and  went 
with  firearms  for  this  purpose.     While  the  mob  were  beat- 
ing  m  the  windows  with  stones  and  firing  from  the  out- 
side into  the  store,  they  who  were  on  the  inside  fired  a 
gun  also,  by  which  one  of  the  mob  was  killed.     At  this 
the  populace  at  first  dispersed,  but  whiskey  being  profuse- 
ly  supphed  to  them  by  their  abettors,  and  guns  placed  in 
their  hands,  they  returned  in  larger  numbers  to  the  store, 
determined  to  set  it  on  fire,  and  burn  alive  all  whp  were  in 
It.     Mr.  Lovejoy  and  four  of  his  companions  went  out  to 
drive  away  those  who  were  actuaUy  setting  fire  to  the  roof 
ot  the  building,  and  he  was  then  shot  through  the  body  bv 
one  of  the  mob,  and  died  in  a  few  minutes  afterward.     Thev 
subsequently  wounded  several  others,  took  possession  of  the 
press,  broke  it  to  pieces,  and  threw  the  fragments  into  the 
river. 

On  such  a  transaction  as  this  it  might  be  supposed  that 
there  would  be  scarcely  a  difference  of  opinion,  or  that  the 
whole  press  of  the  country,  in  the  free  states  at  least,  would 
Jave  condemned  such  an  outrage,  and  contended  for  the 
ireedom  of  discussion.     But  by  far  the  greater  majority  of 
the  Whig  papers,  and  some  even  of  the  Democratic,  in 
New- York  and  elsewhere,  condemned  the  pertinacity  and 
obstinacy    as  they  called  it,  of  Mr.  Lovejoy,  excused  the 
conduct  of  the  mob,  and  thought  that  any  man  venturing  to 
publish  sentiments  which  he  knew  to  be  obnoxious  to  the 
majority  deserved  to  be  put  down  by  force.     The  New- 
York  American,  a  Whig  paper,  and  the  Evening  Post,  a 
Democratic  paper,  were  the  principal  exceptions  to  this  hue 
of  conduct    and  spoke  out  boldly  in  condemnation  of  the 
lawless  conduct  of  the  mob,  and  in  defence  of  the  right  of 
free  discussion.  ^       * 

It  is  the  more  remarkable,  that  in  the  constitution  of  the 
very  state  m  which  this  outrage  was  perpetrated,  Illinois, 
there  is  a  clause  declaring  "  that  it  shall  be  unlawful  to  place 
any  restraint  on  the  entire  freedom  of  publication  on  all 
subjects,  which  IS  claimed  as  the  right  of  every  citizen  of 
the  stae.  In  private  society,  however,  the  advocacy  of 
the  violent  conduct  of  the  mob  was  far  more  general  than 
with  the  press.  In  the  latter,  some  caution  was  necessary, 
to  keep  up  the  appearance  of  a  decent  attachment  to  liberl 
ty  while  excusmg  this  gross  violation  of  it  at  Alton ;  but  in 
private  circles,  where  no  such  necessity  for  caution  existed, 
no  resiramts  were  felt;  and  it  was  quite  common  to  hea^ 


DISCUSSION  BEFORE  CONGRESS. 


63 


persons  priding  themselves  on  their  republican  principles 
declare  that  they  thought  Mr.  Lovejoy's  treatmen?  uch  S 
he  fully  deserved;  adJmg  to  it  a  wish  that  all  abolitionists 

^rlf  K  T^*l  *S  *'°f '  *^^  *1"^«*^°"  ^"  »»y  s»»«Pe  or  form 
nught  be  treated  m  the  same  manner.    It  was  in  vain  to 
tell  theni  that  if  then-  principle— « that  sentiments  not  ap. 
proved  of  by  the  majority  ought  not  to  be  propagated  by  the 
minority"~were  fully  carried  out,  no  truth  could  make 
progress,  and  no  reform  be  effected ;  that  Christianity  itself 
originated  with  a  very  small  minority,  and  was  centuries  be^ 
lore  It  was  generally  received;  that  aU  missionaries  are 
h^Jfi       }^  preach  doctrines  unacceptable  to  the  major- 
ity  of  the  nation  to  which  they  address  themselves ;  and  that 
every  great  political,  moral,  or  religious  reform  began  with 
the  mmority.     To  all  this  they  merely  answered,  that  '« the 
question  of  slavery  was  a  very  different  affair;  and  that, 
whUe  the  whites  of  the  South  thought  their  interest  endan- 
gered by  its  mere  discussion,  the  whites  of  the  North  had  no 
right  to  discuss  it  all."     This  very  doctrine,  however,  is  in 
direct  violation  of  their  own  rule,  as  the  whites  of  the  South 
Me  greatly  m  the  minority  compared  with  the  whites  of  the 
Worth,  the  proportion  of  their  numbers  being  perhaps  less 
than  one  fourth  of  the  whole.     But  the  prejudice  of  native^ 
born  Americans  on  this  subject  is  so  deep-rooted  and  so  in- 
veterate, that  it  is  altogether  invincible  to  reason,  and  can- 
not  be  moved  by  any  power  of  argument  or  demonstration. 
In  the  Senate  as  well  as  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, the  legislators  seem  to  be  as  fall  of  this  prejudice  as 
any  of  their  constituents.    Mr.  Wall,  of  New-Jersey,  pre- 
sented some  resolutions  of  the  Legislature  of  Vermoi,  rec- 
omraending  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, m  which  the  City  of  Washington  is  placed,  «nd  over 
which  district  the  general  Congress  has  exactly  the  same  ju- 
risdiction and  power  as  the  State  Legislatures  hav4  over  their 
respective  territories.     The  reception  of  these  resolutions,  as 
well  as  of  the  numerous  petitions  presented  in  favour  of  the 
abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  were  equal- 
ly rejected  in  both  houses  :  by  some  on  th«  ground  "  that 
Congress  had  no  constitutional  right  or  ppWer  to  deal  with 
the  question  at  all;"  and  bv others  on  th»  ground  «  that  the 
mere  agitation  of  the  question  in  Congress  was  full  of  dan- 
ger to  the  Union."     The  representatives  of  the  Southern 
States,  in  which  slavery  principally  exists,  contended  warmly 
lor  both  these  propositions ;  and  yet,  in  the  face  of  this.  Mr. 
Oalhoun,  the  senator  from  South  Carolina,  himself  introdu- 


M 


STATE    OF  MEW-YORK. 


8uLp  J  r      of  resolutions,  which  embraced  the  whole 
subject  of  slavery  defending  it  as  an  institution  favourable 
to  the  welfare  ol  the  country  and  the  people  it  embraced 
denymg  the  power  of  Congres.  to  interfere  with  u7n  any 
Sntlir"''  ««f  ^^"^""''ingthe  abolitionists  as  ene- 
mxes  to  the  Union  and  foes  to  the  best  interests  of  the  whole 
country,  from  theur  mischievous  attempts  to  obtain  emanci- 
pation for  the  slaves.     These  resolutions,  of  course,  ^ve 
2V.Vt7^'^  discussion  which  Mr.  Calhoun  and  his  sup- 
porters had  so  much  deprecated  when  brought  on  by  othi 
rWfl?  several  weeks  in  succession  the  Senate  was 

chiefly  occupied  with  debating  them. 

In  the  House  of  Representatives  they  disposed  of  the 
question  much  more  speedily,  by  resolving,  by  a  large  ma- 
jonty,  that  the  petitions  of  the  people  in  fLu^r  of  Tabo- 

re^^ivt      T^K  "  ^^^  ^^''r *  ?^  Columbia  should  not  be 
received,  and  they  were  therefore  all  laid  on  the    table 
without  being  either  read,  discussed,  or  printed  ;  so  that  the 

totitC''°l"'.f''^''^^^'''  "^^^«'  ^«'«"««  it  was  thought 
over  thf^  ^^^  ?•'  ""T  '^""'^^  "g^^  °^  '^^  slaveholder 
over  the  slave  Since  the  days,  therefore,  when  Thomas 
Moore  wrote  his  celebrated  Epistle  from  Washington!The 
reproach  which  he  uttered  has  not  been  wiped  awfy? 

"<?^!l° '!!?■'*■*  P"*'«"" '"f  «  moment  fee 
The  medley  mass  of  pride  and  misery, 

Of  whi|)»  and  charters,  manacle,  and  nghU, 
?L  iir.h«  ''»«'«•  «nd  Democratic  whitSs, 
And  all  the  piebald  polity  that  reigna 
In  free  confuaion  o'er  Columbia's  plains  ? 

sLiii" .. '' J  J"?"' ''V*'"  J""' ""<*  sentle  God, 
Should  stand  before  thee  with  a  tyrant's  ro? 

>.  Yet  dara  to  boast  of  perfect  liberty ! " 

A  shprt  extract  from  one  of  the  papers  of  the  dav  i1«. 
scribing  a  portion  of  the  proceedings  of  the  SenatJ'  fhl" 
inost  dignified  and  important  of  the  tlo  houses  of  the  Legt 
lature,  on>„rsday,  the  4th  of  January,  m8%T^tnh, 

Z  T-fr- '  X^"u  P^P^'>  '^^  New-York  Evenkig  P?st!  w i" 
of  th^hoT  V^^^Z  '^^  *°"«  «"<*  spirit  «f  *he  iLdrng  men 
of  Iha  body  M^.Presto^i„  his  defence  of  Mr.CalCs 
resolutions,  had, aid  that  "  tH  that  the  South  wanted  was  to 
be  let  alone,  and  >4ierefore  th^y  cried '  hands  o7' to  alUhdr 
w"    lllj'h^^^^    upon  which  the  foUowing  obL^vatf^n 


SLAVERY   IN  THS   DISTRICT   OF  COMTMBIA. 


67 


tJonists  was  80  great,  so  extensive,  and  so  much  upon  the  increase  that 
the  South  blinded  itself  by  refusing  to  listen  to  the  etid"  n^e^efore 

?«!.w„n!if^ir?i""'"'  ^1"%  ^°"*  ''""'^  "°*  P'""^^  i»8elf  without  the  pro- 
tection  of  the  General  Government.  ^ 

f J'^Sl's^'fif^^u'^P"*?- .  "®  *''*"''^^  *^«  gentleman  for  his  sympathy 
for  the  South.  He  wanted  none  of  it,  if  he  thought  the  South  was  not  aWe 
to  take  care  of  itself.  The  South  was  abundantly  able  to  protect  itself! 
She  wanted  no  interference :  nothing  but  constitutional  protection.  She 
stil  cned  hands  off,  hands  off,  hands  off'to  all :  to  the  States,  to  the  Gen- 
eral  Government  beyond  her  defined  constituUonal  powers  of  protection 
She  complained  of  interference,  and  wanted  none  of  it.  The  laws  upon 
this  subject  were  many  and  highly  penal,  and  Mr.  Preston  would  say. 
Sl^/riP"!  n  ***?•  ^"e*^  States'  laws,  if  any  man  interfered  with  sl^ 
Of  KawS     ^*'°^"*'  ^°"*  Carolina  would  hang  him  up6n  the  strength 

"  The  debate  was  continued  up  to  nearly  four  o'clock. 
«lw-  ^*"'  ^^-  New-Jersey,  made  a  strong  speech  in  opposition  to  the 
resolutions  and  m  favour  of  the  amendment  of  Mr.  Smith.    He  was  op- 
posed  to  the  whole  discussion  and  the  groundwork  of  the  whole  discus- 
Bion,  because  it  was  a  subject  Congress  had  no  right  to  handle. 
«,    .     r5"'''J?"*"  followed,  and  said  that  he  should  move  an  adjourn- 

hltll.;  „  .     ^?*^®  **"  *"  ^""^  '""^'"''  ^^^  he  hoped  senators  would  be 
oetter-natured  to-morrow. 

"  The  Senate  then  adjourned.'' 

In  the  course  of  the  present  session  of  Congress,  whUe 
this  most  important  topic  was  debated,  on  the  presentation 
of  petitions  from  the  Legislature  of  Vermont,  and  from 
many  of  the  large  cities  of  the  North,  praying  the  Congress 
to  abolish  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  as  before  de- 
scribed,  the  following  appeared  in  the  New-York  Transcript 
of  December  20,  1837,  as  taken  from  a  leading  evening  pa- 
per,  the  Commercial  Advertiser.  It  was  repeated  afterward 
in  most  of  the  other  papers  of  the  city,  without  being  either 
contradicted  or  questioned,  as  far  as  I  could  learn,  and  I 
made  inquiries  on  this  subject  in  every  accessible  quarter 
No  one  ventured  even  to  doubt  the  facts,  very  few  thought 
them  a\  all  discreditable,  and  almost  all  the  Whig  party 
were  against  any  effort  to  amend  the  evU  it  described.  The 
foUowmg  j3  the  paragraph : 

DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA. 

fniuf™  ^.''Offs^PO'Vdent  of  the  Commercial  Advertiser  we  derive  the 
following  important  information.  ™ 

Jn\^^  ""torious  that  the  slave-trade  is  largely  pursued  in  the  District 
of  Columbia,  to  the  disgust  and  molestation  of  a  great  majority  of  S 
mhabitants,  of  every  class  and  colour.  '"-joniy  oi  us 

"  A  woman,  a  wife,  a  mother,  esteemed  or  supposed  to  be  free  was 
,n  form  of  law,  claimed  as  a  slave,  confined  as  su^and  sold  for  ex^ 

"  Torn  from  her  husband— in  prison  with  four  youns  children  about 
her-frantic  with  wretchednflsa  »nH  ^ri^f-ci^-  x"Ji  L-  ".°  _"  .^7"* 
chUdren,  and.  in  a  moment"  of  phrenVrresoiverikHh^ratlas" 


m 


STATE   OF  NEW-YORK. 


Should  not  grow  up  to  be  slaves,  and  proceeded  to  kill  them  with  h«i> 
r?h«^.1.-  ^r  ''if  ?""^««*^«'*  '«  k'W,  but  the  Ses  an?sT^grieI 
?nVJeath        ^'°"^'*' '"  "''*'°"''  ^'^  ^^'^  ^«^  '«»°°«d  from  Sff 

"The  unhappy  mother  was  indicted  for  murder,  tried  bv  a  iurv  of  th„ 
tet.  and  acquitted  on  the  ground  of  insanity^  "t  was  hffity  but 
the  insanity  of  overpowering  passion.  uisanuy,  out 

"  She  had  been  sold,  warranted  sound,  mind  and  bodv  •  hut  nn  th^ 

foYHTJ  1  '^''^  ^f'V^^  *"  '«*°™««i  by  trbS^^io  the  seller 
5L  nf  5*'  ''T^  °^  ,*  '"i^^^^  °f  a  warranty,  by  reaJon  of  the  latent 
vice  of  unsoundness  of  mind,  to  be  resold  without  warranty -and  she 
ba^d  and  CW  ^^  *  benevolent  individual,  that  shTiher  hS 
band,  and  her  chddren  may  work  out  her  emancipation." 

Perhaps  the  most  striking  contrast  that  could  be  present- 
ed  to  this,  the  bare  perusal  of  which  must  make  every  Enir- 
hsh  heart  thrill  with  horror,  is  the  cool  and  deliberate  reso. 
lutions  of  a  body  of  ministers  of  the  Gospel  in  Georgia, 
which  appeared  soon  after  in  the  New- York  Evening  Post 
of  January  5,  1838.    It  is  as  follows:  ^^^nmg  rost 

GEORGIA  CONFERENCE. 

«nl?®«?!!?*!2^*i^*?'""2."?  ^*^«  "^en  adopted  by  the  Georgia  Confer- 
Sens  ^'*°'^'''  ^P^''°P'^  Church,'at  its^late  meeSg  held  in 

Chnst,  and  aidmg  both  on  their  way  to  Heaven."  reugion  oi 

«p2"th-\^'"'""'*'^*'°'',?'^y  ^^  g^^«»  «f  ^^^  moral  blind- 
ness  which  is  not  peeuhax  to  the  Whigs  or  the  ministers 

rnfplft  Srf  ""  f ''P'^^  *^^  ^^"""'^  resolutions,  but  which 
n.!^^!.  ^.  •  T'  °A«°^'«ty'  ^nd  all  political  and  religious 
parties;  it  is  this  :  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebelliSi  in 
Canada,  a  public  meeting  was  held  by  the  Democrats  of 
«ew.  York  in  a  large  open  space  called  Vauxhall  Gar- 
den,  to  express  sympathy  with  the  Canadian  revolution- 
ists,  and  to  consider  of  the  best  means  of  aiding  them  in 
their  resistance  to  the  tyranny  of  their  oppressors."  This 
meeting  took  place  at  the  close  of  December,  1837;  it  was 
attended  by  an  immense  multitude,  many  thousands  at  least. 

oilffvf"*'®®'^'"^  "^^'^  '^''^^''ly'  *1^«  speeches  very  animated, 
and  the  general  current  of  the  whole  was  a  fierce  denun- 
ciation of  tyranny  and  oppression,  a  declaration  of  the 
right  of  every  man,  and  every  body  of  men,  to  break  their 
cnains  and  demand  thoi'i-  fi-aa<l/^.v>  ,„u«, ^u ... 


PREJVOICE   AOAmST  ABOLITIONISTS. 


69 


and  a  general  wish  for  the  destruction  of  all  oppressors,  and 
the   speedy  emancipation  from   tyranny   of  all  mankind. 
These  sentiments  were  repeated  by  almost  every  speaker* 
and  received  with  the  loudest  marks  of  approbation  from 
all  present.     At  length  one  of  the  Canadian  revolutionists, 
who  had  escaped  to  New- York,  and  for  whose  capture  the 
governor  of  Canada  had  offered,  by  public  proclamation,  a 
reward  of  2500  dollars,  a  Dr.  Callaghan,  addressed   the 
meeting,  and  was  applauded  to  the  very  echo  for  his  Demo- 
cratic sentiments.     In  the  course  of  his  speech,  however,  he 
instanced  the  number  of  liberal  and  distinguished  public 
men  in  England  who  had  declared,  in  their  places  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  that  they  considered  the  Canadians  to 
be  most  unjustly  oppressed,  and  among  the  number  of  these 
he  named  Daniel  O'Connell,  upon  which  a  scene  of  great 
uproar  ensued,  with  cries  of  "  No  O'Connell !  No  O'Con- 
nell!  he's  an  abolitionist !"    "  And  so,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Cal- 
laghan,  "am  I  an  abolitionist;"  upon  which  the  uproar  was 
increased,  and  mingled  with  cries  of  "  Turn  him  out !  turn 
him  out !       Any  comment  on  such  a  contrast  as  this,  where 
men,  met  avowedly  to   applaud  the  self-emancipation  of 
those  whose  grievances  were  at  least  comparatively  light, 
condemned  in  the  same  breath  all  attempts  in  favour  of  the 
emancipation  of  others,  whose  grievances  were  of  the  heav- 
iest kind,  must  be  wholly  unnecessary ;  and,  but  that  this 
spirit  is  unfortunately  as  conunon  among  the  Whigs  and 
Conservatives  of  America  as  it  is  among  the  Democrats,  it 
would  make  one  repudiate  the  very  name  of  democracy  for- 
ever.    If  this,  however,  were  to  be  deemed  a  sufficient  rea- 
son, whiggism  and  conservatism,  and  even  religion  itself, 
would  have  to  be  repudiated  also,  as  this  inconsistency  af- 
fects the  professors  of  each  in  an  almost  equal  degree. 

I  must  still  offer  another  example  of  this  all-pervading 
prejudice,  though  I  thought  I  had  done.  During  my  stay 
at  New- York  I  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  on  Palestine 
at  Chatham-street  Chapel,  one  of  four  or  five  "free  church- 


es 


j> 


as  they  are  called,  in  this  city,  where  the  pews  are  not 
private  property,  but  where  every  one  who  presents  himself 
at  the  door  is  at  liberty  to  take  up  his  seat  wherever  he 
pleases  ;  the  churches  and  chapels  so  freed  being  generally 
built  by  subscription,  and  sustained  by  letting  the  buildings 
for  public  and  religious  meetings,  and  bv  collections  made 
on  such  occasions  at  the  door.  The  audience  at  this  chapel 
m  attendance  on  these  lectures  were  very  numerous,  ex- 
ceediiig  2000  persons;  and  among  them  were  perhaps  four 


w 


STATE  OP  NJBW-YORK. 


or  five  negroes,  extreme.^  weU-dressed  and  well-behaved 
and  from  ten  to  twenty  coloured  persons,  of  different  shades 
of  brown  complexion,  according  to  the  greater  or  less 
tZT"",'  °i  ^»g^«-A"^T««n  tith  their^fr  can  blo^! 
These  individuals,  most  of  whom  were  eiuraged  in  trade 
behaved  with  the  greatest  humility  and  propriety,  and  S 
severjd  instances,  where  they  saw'white  persons  standirS 
near  them,  they  rose  to  offer  them  their  seat.,  and  removed 
to  a  remoter  part  of  the  building.     In  the  course  cft^n 

s^ITh  J  ''^^^"^^."  ""'^^^^  of  Inonymous  iXs  on  S 
sub  ect,  but  none  with  real  signatures;  they  wan  all  we  ' 
written,  and  wer^  no  doubt  the  priductLs  of  persons 
moving  m  the  sphere  of  gentlemen)  but  one  of  J'  fse  wm 
^ffice  as  an  exarnole  of  the  rest.  ItSvas  addressed  to  me 
in  the  following  +r  ins ; 

"^"JSmpany  with  several  Me.^uJ  ::^^t'ZtZ'^ 
Chatham-street  Chapel  on  Wednes-Jay  «e.i-,  •  iS  and  although  fn 
common  with  the  rest  of  the  party.  I  <,;.<,,..  . ft  iugSt  dShted  3  edf 
fied  by  the  subject  of  the  evening' 1  vnV,Ji  bJ)^Ji^'eXtheu^^^ 
courtesy,  a^d  Mrm  the  most  friendly  (^  eii:.gs,to  suggest  to  yoSe^l 
Tf^r  .I^'*""'®1  ^^^  r^'  ««m*«V«fe  correction.    I  allude  to  the  pracSce 
of  allowing  coloured  pBrsons  to  mix  with  the  audience  and  npnnn^Vhf 
ground-floor  of  the  chapel.    Their  deairn  fn  o^^,-   i  and  occupy  the 
admit,  i.  highly  commen^ihle.buTapSce  alSTom  thTauLPr^'.^^ 
some  pH^  of  the  gallenr.  rhoold  be  ass^S "o  them     T?^^^^^^ 
being  under  your  control  on  the  evening  of  vour  iPPtnrn'^Sfi?    ™"amg 
would  seem  J.-  rest  the  correctiveZwer.  and  wi£^^^^ 
plication,  you  raay  rest  assured  that  your  lecTures  w  ff  ZT^'^f ",  "P" 

decorum,  than  an  insult  f,o  the  feelings  of  your  Sfncc."        ^  ^ 
Of  course  I  took  no  public  notice  whatever  of  these  anon- 
ymous iomrnanications,  though  I  had  occasion  to  know,  ver- 

h^lj'/T  !f7'^^  '^"^''T''  '^^'  ^^^y  «»any  persons  had 
been  deterred  from  attending  my  lectures  here  (and  those 

absentees  were  mostly  persons  professedly  religious)  because 

n«rt  oT  r'l  P^^"  u^r  '^"^  ^"°^«^  *°  «^  in  the  same 

Ctld  hn      "''^^f ^  ""'f  *^'"  ^^''^'-     W^^t  "»^1^««  this  af! 
fected  horror  of  "  amalgamation"  the  more  revolting  is,  that 

many  of  the  very  gentlemen  who  declare  themseivealo  be  so 

insulted  and  degraded  by  being  placed  so  near  the  "col! 

cured  people"  y  to  sit  by  them,  have  no  scruple  whatever 

?il«  T  coloured  women  as  mistresses,  and  have  large  fam- 

t n„  ^  A    f'u''  ^y  '^T-     ^^^*^°"*  thi.  actual  amalgama- 
tion, indeed,  between  the  white  races  ar  j  the  blaekf there 


■^^ 


PRIDE  OF  INDIAN  DK8CBNT. 


71 


would  be  none  of  the  mulatto  or  brown-coloured  people  in 
existence.     Yet  m  the  Northern  States  of  America  Te^^ 
iKued  races"  are  far  more  numerous  than  the  pure  Afri- 
can  biack  ;  and,  therefore,  the  pretended  horror  of  the  sUaht 
amalgamation  which  sitting  together  in  the  same  chapelL 
volves,  i.Mi.le  the  fruits  of  a  much  closer  amalgamationmeet 
you  at  ev  ry  step  in  the  highways  and  by-ways  of  the 
country,  is  the  very  acmfe  of  hypocrisy  and  phaiisaical  deceit. 
It  18  remarkable  that  this  prejudice  against  dark  complex- 
ions does  not  extend  to  the  aboriginal  Indians,  who  nre. 
many  of  thein,  of  a  deep  reddish  brown,  almost  as  dark  as 
the  darkest  mulattoes,  and  considerably  darker  than  many 
other  shades  of  the  "coloured  people"  beyond  the  first  re- 
move  from  the  offspring  of  white  fathers  and  negro  moth- 
ers.    On  tne  contrary,  to  have  a  mixture  of  dark  Indian  blood 
IS  rather  a  matter  of  pride  than  reproach ;  and,  so  far  from 
Its  being  attempted  to  be  concealed,  it  is  occasionaliv  the 
subject  of  public  self-congratulation.     A  remarkable  instance 
ol  this  occurred  during  my  stay  in  New- York.     The  Rev. 
Dr.  Hawks,  one  of  the  most  popular  and  distinguished  of  the 
±.piscopalian  clergy  here,  was  invited  to  deliver  a  lecture 
hrZ^A  A       u!''''^  Ti  Character  of  Pocahomas,"  the  cele. 
brated  daughter  of  the  Indian  chief  Powhatan,  before  the 
Historical  Society  of  New-York.     The  Stuyvesant  Institute! 
m  which  this  discourse  was  delivered,  was  crowded  to  ex! 
cess  ;  the  lecturer  was  peculiarly  eloquent,  and  his  address 
deservedly  admired  for  the  beauty  of  its  composition  and 
the  finished  style  of  its  delivery;  and  when,  at  the  .  L  of 
his  dwcourse,  he  placed  his  hand  upon  his  heart,  and  apolo- 
gized  for  the  pride  which  he  must  naturaUy  feel  in  the  rec- 
oUection  that  some  of  the  blood  of  Pocahontas  flowed  in  his 
own  veins,  the  sympathy  of  the  audience  manifested  itself  in 
marks  of  universal  approbation.    This  was  even  still  more 
loudly  expressed  when  he  added  that,  though  it  had  pleased 
the  Almighty  to  clothe  the  creatures  of  L  creation  wkj 
skins  of  df  erent  hues,  yet  the  Scriptures  had  emphatically 
declared  that  "God  had  made  of  one  flesh  aU  nations  of 
the  earth;"  and  that,  therefore,  despite  these  external  vari- 
be W  oVU  ""^  ^f  y  '^  regard  all  mankind  as  our  brothers, 
bZ^ht     f"^ u  -^  °"^g^«^t  Father,  by  whom  all  wtrc' 
brought  into  bemg.     But  into  this  seemingly  "universal 
family"  the  despised  African  race  is  not  admitted,  aTcouTd 
not  at  the  time  have  been  included,  either  by  the  speaker  or 
the  great  majority  of  his  auditory  at  New-Vnrt       Thgij. 
toieration  was  for  the  red  races,  o'r  reddish-blacldsh-brown 


STATE    OF   NEW-rORK. 


coloured  tribes,  but  not  for  the  blacks  of  Africa,  or  the  mixed 
progeny  of  the  white  and  the  negro  amalgamations,  because 
Br.  Hawks  is  himself  an  openly-avowed  anti-abolitionist, 
and  so  were  the  greater  number  of  those  who  formed  his 
admiring  and  sympathizing  audience. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Mr.  Catlin's  Museum  of  Indian  ContumeR,  Weapon*,  and  Paintinft.— Conne  of  Lee* 
lures  on  the  Indian  Tribes.— Names  of  Indian*  in  Mr.  Catlin's  Gallery  of  Portraits.— 
Hunting  Excursions  among  the  Indians.— Skilful  Management  of  the  Horse  by  them. 
—Indian  Games  of  Amusement.— Dances.— Horrid  Character  of  their  War-dances.— 
Scalp-dance  of  the  Sioux  Tribe  of  Indians.— Bloody  Scalps  of  their  Enemies  sus- 
pended  by  Womea.— Dog-dance  of  the  same  Tribe.— Heart  and  Flesh  eaten  raw.— 
Flesh  of  Doga  served  as  Food  at  their  greatest  Festivals. 

I  HAD  an  opportunity  of  hearing  much  of  the  Indian  tribes 
during  our  residence  in  this  city  from  Mr.  Catlin,  who  had 
travelled  extensively  in  the  "  Far  West,"  ns  the  territories 
beyond  the  Mississippi  are  here  called ;  and  after  a  sojourn 
among  the  various  tribes,  from  the  eastern  borders  of  the 
United  States  to  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  near  the 
Pacific,  had  returned  to  New- York  with  a  collection  of 
more  than  a  hundred  portraits  of  the  most  remarkable  men 
and  women  in  each  tribe,  with  paintings  of  their  landscape 
scenery,  encampments,  villages,  hunting-parties,  war-dances, 
religious  festivals,  games,  tortures,  and  almost  every  occu- 
pation in  which  they  engage;  added  to  which,  he  had 
amassed  a  large  collection  of  their  dresses,  weapons,  and 
ornaments,  which  formed  altogether  the  most  complete  mu- 
seum of  Indian  curiosities  that  had  ever,  it  was  thought,  been 
brought  together  into  one  spot. 

Besides  many  private  interviews  with  Mr.  Catlin,  in 
which  he  was  most  agreeably  communicative,  we  attended 
a  course  of  his  lectures,  delivered  in  the  Stuyvesant  Insti- 
tute, where  the  portraits  and  other  paintings  were  exhibited, 
and  where  the  dresses,  weapons,  and  ornaments  were  also 
shown,  accompanied  by  a  short  explanation  of  each.  I  se- 
lect a  few  of  the  most  striking  names  of  the  warriors  and 
others  whose  portraits  were  exhibited,  each  in  his  peculiar 
costiune,  and  to  the  accuracy  of  which,  in  person  and  dress, 
the  testimonies  were  abundant. 


NAMES   OP   INDIANS.  t^ 

JJitesr^; ;  :■■■  IHiS^F'r-'p-')- 

Ee.8hahi;.  °ef  :    ;    •    •    •    •  ft^f"i«»»- 

jAh  w»h  n.,o  »oT. ine  Bow  and  Quiver. 

Kotsotet? Mountain  of  Rocks. 

STtor'^" Hairoftne  Bull's  neck. 

UsKld'tz The  smoked  Shield. 

Ahi^Saw He  who  fights  with  a  Feather. 

^Malcha:    :    :    :    :  ?-hoSt^d-n  both  sides. 

Chah-tee-wa-ne.chee     ....  No  heart 
Mah-to-rah-rish-nee-eeh-ee-rah     ^  '^^^  *^"8^y  Bear,  that  runs  without 

Ohi-ka-tchee  kiTm He  who  sits  eveiywhere. 

G5chS^?au"io-h He  who  walks  on  the  sea. 

ml  •    .    .    .    He  Who  has  eyes  behind  him. 

These  were  all  the  names  of  males,  and  were  eenerallv 
characteristic  of  some  quality,  achievement,  Tr  haWt  of  the 
persons  bearing  them;  this  being,  no  doubt,  the  oril  of 
WW  th  t,^«""*"««'/"d  in  none  more  than  in  Engand, 

mdZ  ln/.r"^  n"^  '^^  ^^^^^^  «'«  ^«'y  abundant ;  the 
Riders  and  the  Walkers  are  not  less  so ;  the  Browns  and 

where  t^S^  '''  "^^^'^-^  *he  ^-ei^s  scattered  everyl 
^e%n«,,  ^"j  ^".^  the  Cocks,  the  Doves  and  the  Wrens, 
the  Sparrows  and  the  Nightingales,  happily  mingled  and 

the  Wolfs  and  the  Bulls;  and  these  again  varied  with  the 
Sahnons,  the  Sturgeons,  the  Cods,  and  the  Herrings;  while 
«iere  is  no  end  to  the  tribes  of  the  Masons,  the  Tylerr  the 
toThr&h'^  ^.r'T.'  *'^  *^y^«^«'  and^he  sSsVor 
Stheir  toain.     '  '  "^^  '^'  ^''^''''  ^^°  ^«"*>^ 

The  names  given  to  the  female  Indians  exhibited  in  th,« 
culk-cnion^^Mr.  Uatiin's  portraits  were  quite  as  remaxka: 


1i^  STATE   OF   NEW-YORK. 

ble,  and  generally  very  expressive  of  feminine  softness,  as 
well  as  of  the  admiration  of  the  stronger  sex.  These  are  a 
few: 

Hee-la-dee Thepm      <•      w. 

Mong-shong-sha Th(  '  • "".  •  \.  >    ■  ""v. 

Eh-nis-kim Th-  ;  .ys* .' .  lout. 

Lay-loo-ah-pec-ai-shee-kau    .    .  Om^s,  bush,  and  blossom. 

Tis-se-woo-na-tis Shf  who  bathes  her  knees. 

Pah-ta-coo-chee The  shooting  Cedar. 

Pshan-shau Tbf  sweet-scented  Grass. 

Ha-das-ka-mon-me-nee  ....  The  Pipe-of-peace  Bird. 

Seot-se-he-a The  midday  Sun. 

Cos-pe-sau-que-te The  indescribable  Thj;i(;. 

In  the  course  of  his  lectures  Mr.  Catlin  related  to  us 
many  interesting  parlicuiars  respecting  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  variou"  Indian  tribes  among  whom  he  had 
sojoiurned,  and  of  most  of  these  he  exhibited  pictorial  repre- 
sentations, of  which  the  following  may  be  named  as  among 
the  most  remarkable. 

In  their  hunting  excursions,  where  they  pursue  the  wild 
buffaloes  either  singly  or  in  herds,  they  exhibit  astonishing 
proofs  of  skill  and  horsemanship.  Their  aim  is  so  unerring 
with  the  arrow  that  they  never  fail  to  pierce  their  victim ; 
end  such  is  the  force  as  well  as  skill  with  which  the  arrow 
is  sent  out  from  the  bow,  that  instances  are  not  uncommon 
of  their  shooting  it  right  throus;h  the  trunk  of  a  buffalo  uut 
on  the  other  side:  a  fact  testified  to  by  many  witnesses. 
The  buffaloes  being  in  natural  erjinity  with  the  grisly  bear, 
attack  it  wherever  they  meet ;  but  the  white  wolves  they 
permit  to  graze  with  their  herds  unmolested.  The  Indians, 
knowing  this,  often  cover  themselves  wit'u  skins  of  the 
white  wolf,  previously  prepared  for  the  purpose,  anc'  under 
its  cover  cr'^ep  towards  them  on  a.!  fours,  '/ithout  citing 
their  suspicion,  when,  being  within  .arow-range,  they  draw 
their  bow,  and  shoot  their  unsuspecting  victim  through  the 
heart. 

Another  method  of  pursuing  and  decoying  the  bLi.  aloes 
to  destruction  is  thus  related  by  Hinton,  and  its  accuracy 
was  confirmed  by  Mr.  Catlin  in  all  particulars.  "  The  b.  rds 
of  buffaloes  wander  over  the  country  in  search  of  food,  nsu 
ally  led  by  a  bull  most  remarkable  for  its  strenglL  'id  f^'  rce» 
ness.  While  feeding  they  are  often  scattered  ore  eat 
extent  of  covmtry;  but  when  they  move  in  a  i.ia«&  ey 
form  a  dense  nnl  almost  impenetrable  column,  which,  ouce 
in  motion,  is  scarcely  to  be  impeded.  Their  line  of  march 
is  seldom  interrupted  even  by  considerable  rivers,  across 


BUrrALO  HVNTIMO. 


n 


which  they  swim  without  fear  or  hewtation,  nearly  in  the 
order  in  which  they  traverse  the  plains.     When  flying  be- 
fore their  pursuers,  it  would  be  in  vain  for  the  foremost  to 
halt,  or  to  attempt  to  obstruct  the  progress  of  the  main 
body ;  as  the  throng  in  the  rear  still  rush  onward,  the  lead- 
ers must  ndvance,  although  destruction  awaits  the  movement. 
The  Indians  take  advantage  of  this  circumstance  to  destroy 
great  quantities  of  this  their  favourite  game ;  and  certainly 
no  mode  could  be  resorted  to  more  effectuidly  destructive, 
nor  could  a  more  terrible  devastation  be  produced,  than  by 
forcing  a  numerous  herd  of  these  large  animals  to  leap  to- 
gether  from  the  brink  of  a  dreadful  precipice  upon  a  rocky 
and  broken  surface  u  hundred  feet  below.     When  the  In- 
dians  determine  to  destroy  a  herd  of  buffaloes  in  this  way, 
one  of  their  swiftest-footed  and  most  active  young  men  is 
selected,  who  is  disguised  in  a  buffalo  skin,  ha^      r  the  head, 
ears,  and  horns  adjusted  to  his  own  head,  so  a^  lo  make  tha 
deception  very  complete;  and  thus  accoutred,  he  stations 
himself  between  the  buffalo  icrd  and  some  of  the  precipices, 
which  often  extend  for  several  miles  along  the  rivers.     Tha 
Indians  surround  the  herd  as  nearly  as  possible ;  when,  at  a 
given  signal,  they  show  themselves,  and  rush  forward  with 
loud  yells.     The  animals  being  alarmed,  and  seeing  no  way 
open  but  in  tlie  direction  ^f  the  disguised  Indian,  run  to- 
wards him,  and  lie,  tak  ght,  dashes  on  to  the  precipice, 
whei ,  he  suddenly  «»eou       U-  nself  in  some  previously-ascer- 
taiied  crevice.      '       foremost   of  the  herd  arrives  at  the 
brink  ;  there  is        p  issif  lity  o*"  retreat,  no  chance  of  es- 
cape; the  foren.dt  ma        -  an  m    ant  shrink  with  terror, 
but  the  crowd  behind,  wh.      re  torritied  by  the  approaching 
hunters,  rush  forward  with  inbrt.tsing  impetuosity,  and  the 
aggregated  force    lurls     '<>'m  successively  from  the  clifis, 
whe      certain   leath  awaits  them."*  • 
In  the  management  of  their  horses  the  In 'ians  seem  to  be 
as  skilful  as  the     rabs  or  the  Mamelukes  of  ui    East.    Some 
pictures  were  shown  to  us,  in  which  were  del'       ted  Indians 
of   4e  Camanc'  e  tribe  hanging  over  one  side       heir  horses, 
an  .  shootmg  tiieir  arrows  over  the  saddle  toviard?  their  en- 
emir^  while  they  were  themselves  completely  shel  ered  from 
then  attack  by  the  inter,  osing  body  of  the  horst  r.vering 
!   Tu      1      P^^^°"'  ^^-^^'  ^^as  coiled  or  ^tht-.^d  uo  so  as 
to  hii  onlv  the  space  between         hanging  stirrup  and    he 
upper  part  oi  the  .iddle.                                        ^ 

*  HiBtrii  s  Tepcjiaphy  of  the  United  Slates,  itn  roi     ,  p,  147. 


i^ 


79 


VtATK  or  MKW-YOKK. 


Of  their  games  or  amusements  the  following  were  the  most 
strdcmg  Playing  with  the  ball  for  stakes,  or  sums  of  mrey 
deposited  on  each  side,  is  very  frequent ;  and  so  much  im- 
p^^rtance  is  attache  1  to  this  game,  that  on  the  night  previous 
to  Its  gjrformanoe  four  conjurers  sit  up  to  «moke  to  the 

T  u^?'''*.^*  *^®  P°^"*  ^^'^'^  ^^^  ball  is  to  be  started: 
and,  whde  the  stakeholders  also  sit  up  o  guard  the  Bumi 
deposited,  men  and  women  dance  aro  .nd  their  respective 

T.Za-  "^^T^^^  '*"""«  ^^"^  "'8*»*-    At  some  of  these  games 
nnl.      V,    J      one  party  are  painted  all  over  with  white 
pamt,  while  those  of  the  other  remain  of  the  natural  reddinh- 
brown  colour,  to  prevent  their  being  mistaken  or  confounded. 
iJesides  horse-racing,  fov   racing,  and  course-racing,  all 
01  which  are  common,  skill  u,  archery  is  much  cuhivated, 
and  with  great  success.     In  this  they  perhaps  surpass  all 
people  in  the  world,  bringing  down  single  birds  while  flyinir 
at  a  great  height,  and  shooting  fish  while  darting  with  OTeat 
rapidity  m  their  rivers  and  lakes.     In  one  of  these  games, 
the  great  object  of  the  archers  is  to  see  who  can  accumulate 
the  greatest  number  of  arrows  in  the  air,  by  the  most  rapid 
succession  of  shooting  them,  before  t!  o  first  arrow  reacht^ 
the  gro'md ;  and  if  the  parties  playing  at  this  are  numerous, 
the  air  becomes  hterally  darkened  with  the  showers  of  ar- 
rows that  are  sent  forth.  " 
Of  dances  they  have   a   great   variety.    The   "straw 
dance,"  among  the  tribe  of  the  Sioux,  consists  in  making 

t^hT^W  *^'?  ^""f  "l^^^'  ^^^^  »>""i"g  «»'*^«  tied  to 
their  bodies,  to  make  them  tough  and  brave.     Another 

dance  among  the  tribes  of  the  Sauks  and  Foxes,  is  called 

ctv  of' tL   "'"'  \f"^  '?  P''^°'"*"^  ^y  ^  ^«'y  «i"g»l-r  so- 
ciety of  Indians,  who  volunteer  to  become  slaves  for  two 

yews,  on  the  condition  that  they  may  elect  their  chief  or 
master.     Another  dance,  among  the  tribe  of  Ojibbewavs  is 
caUed  the  "snow-shoe  dance,»^from  its  taking^ placra^'lhe 
fost  fall  of  snow  m  the  winter,  and  being  dinced  in  long 
anow-shoes,  almost  like  smaU  canoes,  worn  by  all  the  party. 
Ihe  tribe  of  the  Mmnatarrees  have  a  dance  called  "  the 
green-corn  dance,"  where  they  make  an  offering  of  the 
turst-lrmts  to  the  Creator  by  "  sacrificing  the  first  kettle-foll  » 
IfuT,    f'  ""T  i^nguage,  "to  the  Great  Spirit."    The 
buffalo  dance"  of  the  Mandans,  another  tribe,  consists  of 
men  dressmg  themselves  in  the  skins  of  buffaloes,  two  men 
erect  generally  sustaining  the  skin  of  one  buffalo,  placed 
horizontally  above  their  heads,  the  sides  of  the  skin  faUing 
ai  ma  them  and  concealing  their  persons,  and  the  head 


POWER   Of   INDURAMCB   OW  THB  INDIANS.  ft 

•nd  horns  being  sustained  by  the  foremost  person,  so  that, 
as    hey  walk  along  or  dance,  they  look  at  a  distance  like 
real  buffaloes  ;  and  the  object  of  this  dance  is  to  attract  the 
herd  in  the  direction  of  the  spot  where  it  takes  place.     The 
"scalp  dance"  of  the  Sioux  is  among  the  most  revoltinir 
where  wonrien,  in  the  centre  of  a  large  circle,  suspend  the 
bloody  scalps  of  their  enemies  taken  in  war  on  poles,  while 
the  warriors  of  the  tribe  dance  around  them,  brandishinir 
their  weapons.     This,  however,  is  exceeded  in  ferocity  by 
the  dog  dance"  of  the  same  tribe,  at  which  the  heart  and 
liver  of  a  dog  are  taken,  raw  and  bleeding,  and,  out  into 
strips,  placed  on  a  stand  about  the  height  of  a  man's  face 
from  the  ground;  to  this  each  of  the  warriors  advances  in 
turn,  and,  biting  off  a  piece  of  the  flesh,  utters  a  yeU  of  ex- 
u  tation  at  having  thus  swallowed  a  piece  of  the  warm  and 
bleeding  heart  of  his  enemy.     It  may  be  added,  that  the 
flesh  of  the  dog  IS  accounted  the  greatest  delicacy  among 
the  Sioux;  and  at  an  Indian  feast  given  in  1803,  at  a  Sioux 
viUage  about  HOO  miles  above  St.  Louis,  to  Mr.  Sanford, 
Mr.  Chotfeau,  Mr.  M'Kenzie,  and  Mr.  Catlin,  a  picture  of 
which  was  in  the  collection,  dogs'  flesh  was  the  only  food 
served,  and  this  was  the  highest  honour  they  could  confer 
upon  strangers.  j      «*«  cumer 

Nothing  is  more  remarkable,  however,  in  the  character 

♦hVi!^  n  ?kT:J^",.*.^''  P""^^"^  °^  enduring  torture,  and 
the  strength  of  the  religious  superstitions  which  sustain  them 
In  one  of  the  ceremonies  of  this  description,  represented  in 
Mr.  Catlin  s  pictures,  several  young  candidates  for  fame 
were   seen  undergoing  the  various   processes   of  pain  to 
which  they  voluntarily  and   cheerfully  submit  themselves: 
They  first  lacerate  the  flesh  with  a  sharp-edged  but  ragged 
flint-stone,  by  cuttmg  open  six  or  seven  gashes  across  th« 
muscular  part  of  each  thigh  and  each  Inn;    a  splint  of 
Z  i       u  ^     u^^^'j  'I  *^^"  '■""  t^^ansversely  through  the 
iw.l?     t'l   !f  ^'  «nd  there  they  are  permitted  to  bleld  and 
swell,  while  the  agonizing  pain  produces  no  sign  of  emo- 
tion  on   heir  countenances.     They  are  then  dragged  around 
the  circle  of  the  tent  on  the  inside,  on  the  b^e  ground, 
sornetimes  by  the  hair  of  the  head,  and  sometimes  by  the 
leet,  the  bodytraihng  all  the  while  along  iiie  rough  and 
broken  soil,  and  getting  new  lacerations  at  every    urn.     Af- 
ter  this  the  bodies  of  the  self.torturers  are  hung  up  by  the 
splints  in  the  flesh,  around  which  cords  are  twined,  and 

S  ^'^  !"?  kept  suspended  for  hours  on  a  pole,  wi  hout 
lood  or  drink.  InnHnnr  cf^r,Ae„^t\,. ^u r*^      .' .      .  .  ' 

to  his  setting,  without  an  interval  of  rest. 


»rf; 


78 


STATS  OF  NEW-TORK. 


Another  remarkable  form  in  which  their  superstition  de^ 
velops  itself  is  that  of  reverence  for  magic  and  magicians. 
Attached  to  every  tribe,  and  often  to  every  encampment 
and  every  village,  is  a  person  who  is  called  "  the  medicine 
man;"  the  "magician"  would  be  the  more  appropriate 
term.    It  is  believed  by  the  rest  of  the  tribe  that  he  is  gift- 
ed with  prophetic  knowledge  and  supernatural  powers.    He 
is  consulted  in  all  expeditions  of  war,  on  all  negotiations  of 
peace ;  his  oracles  are  indisputable,  and  his  charms  are  be- 
lieved to  be  irresistible  ;  he  collects  together  in  his  wander- 
ings all  things  supposed  to  possess  any  superior  virtue  or 
property :  the  skin,  feathers,  head,  beak,  and  talons  of  the 
eagle  and  the  hawk ;   the  skins  of  serpents,  lizards,  and 
toads ;  the  horns  and  hair  of  the  buffalo ;  the  skins  of  the 
grisly  bear  and  the  wolf;  besides  various  animal  and  min- 
eral compounds  supposed  to  operate  a?  charms.     To  each 
of  the  warriors  he  dispenses  his  talisir  .,a,  which  are  worn 
with  unlimited  confidence  in  their  virtues ;  and  when  any 
one  is  ill  or  sick  from  any  disease  or  wounds,  "  the  medi- 
cine man"  is  the  only  person  thought  likely  to  afford  relief. 
This  he  does,  not  with  medicine  of  any  kind,  for  this  is 
never  attempted,  but  by  coming  to  the  tent  or  hut  where 
the  sufferer  may  be  lying,  and  performing  certain  myste- 
rious ceremonies,  and  administering  certain  charms;    the 
"  medicine  man"  being  himself  on  these  occasions  so  dis- 
figured with  the  skins  of  various  animals  placed  over  and 
aroimd  him,  that  he  may  be  said  to  be  as  remote  as  possible 
from  "  the  likeness  of  anything  that  is  in  the  heaven  above, 
or  in  the  earth  benoath,  or  in  the  waters  under  the  earth ;" 
and  when  Mr.  Catlin  presented  himself  to  his  audience  so 
arrayed,  it  was  difficult  to  suppose  that  anything  human 
could  be  so  disguised. 

An  additional  interest  was  given  to  these  lectures  by  the 
paintings  and  descriptions  with  which  they  were  illustrated, 
from  their  reminding  me  so  often  and  so  forcibly  as  they 
did  of  the  Hindus.  The  complexion  of  the  Indians  gen- 
erally resembles  that  of  the  natives  of  Hindustan  more 
than  that  of  any  other  people  I  had  sean ;  they  have  the 
same  fondness  for  gold  and  silver  ornaments,  and  particu- 
larly for  large  silver  bangles  on  the  feet,  and  armlets  on  the 
arms;  they  paint  their  bodies,  and  especially  their  foreheads 
and  chins,  with  various  coloured  paints,  like  the  Brahmins ; 
they  load  the  ears  with  ornaments,  and  the  neck  with  chains ; 
they  oil  their  bodies  to  soften  the  skin;  they  sit  cross-legged 
on  the  ground,  and  are  excessively  fond  of  smokincr.    The 


ARRIVAL  OF   INDIANS   AT  NBW-YORK. 


79 


favourite  colour  for  the  painting  of  their  persons  is  a  bright 
scarlet ;  and  in  all  the  female  portraits  that  I  saw,  the  cen- 
tral seam  occasioned  by  the  parting  of  the  hair,  which  is 
smoothed  down  on  each  side  of  the  head,  and  oiled  to  keep 
it  flat  and  glossy,  was  invariably  painted  with  a  bright  scar- 
let paint,  a  custom  abnost  universal  among  the  women  of 
Hindustan.     But  it  is  in  the  voluntary  infliction  of  self-tor- 
ture, and  the  power  of  sustaining  pain  without  a  murmur, 
that  the  resemblance  between  the  Indians  of  America  and 
of  Asia  is  most  striking.     Whoever  has  witnessed  the  self- 
tortures  of  the  Hindus,  in  their  religious  ceremonies  of  the 
"  churruck-poojah,"  or  festival  of  the  wheel-— where  a  man 
permits  an  iron  hook  to  be  passed  through  the  fleshy  mus- 
cles of  his  loins,  and  is  thus  hoisted  up  to  s.  wheel  and 
whirled  around  in  the  air  with  extraordinary  velocity,  as  well 
as  the  many  other  descriptions  of  self-imposed  torture  prac- 
tised in  Hindustan— could  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  this 
feature  of  resemblance  between  the  tribes  of  Asia  and 
America,  who  may  possibly  have  descended  irora  one  com- 
mon stock. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

P«rBonal  Visit  to  some  Indian  Chiefs  at  New.York.-The  Sauks  and  Foxes.  Sioux  and 
Ic)wayTribes.--Anecdote<.  of  Conversation  with  the  Indian  Chiefs'-Offerine  rf 
Presenta  to  the  Wife  and  Children  of  Kee-o-kuk. -Stomal  IndiflFerewe  mSt^ 
by  each  -Black-Hawk,  the  celebrated  Warrior,  and  his  Son.-Pan"mbii2Tont^ 
sation  of  Mr  Vandenhoff  with  an  Indian.-Invitation  to  ,isit  their  CaZ?  n  the  ?/; 
West.-Anecdotes  of  Life  among  the  Indians.-Arrival  of  a  third  Tribe  of  InZns  in 
New-York  -Reply  of  Indian  Chief  to  General  Fox.-Anesdotes  of  Indfans  re^Slct" 
wg  Interest  of  Money.-Belief  that  the  Indians  bib  descended  from  the  JewV-S 
and  Arguments  of  Major  Noah  and  others.-Striking  Similarity  of  many  of  theS 

H!ih™r.  t"  J«r'\^''?«r^i«'*i?"?"  °'  *<"»«  °f  the  identicarExprSns  of  the 
Hebrews.-Authority  of  Mr,  Cathn  in  support  of  this  Resemblance.  ^     """  *"  "*' 

It  was  only  a  few  weeks  after  hearing  the  lectures  and 
examinmg  the  collection  of  Mr.  Catlin  that  several  Indian 
chiefs  of  diff'erent  tribes  arrived  at  New- York  from  Wash- 
ington, on  a  tour  through  the  United  States,  where,  after 
they  had  concluded  their  treaties  at  the  Capitol,  it  was 
thought  desirable  they  should  be  taken  to  the  principal 
towns,  to  mipress  them  with  a  strong  idea  of  the  power 
and  resources  of  the  American  people.  Among  them  were 
the  chiefs  of  the  Sauks  and  Foxes,  Kee-o-kuk  and  Black- 
iiawk,  witn  tne  wife  and  younger  son  of  the  former,  "  the 


« 


80 


STATE   OF   NEW-YORK. 


Roaring  Thunder."     There  were  about  thirty  of  these,  who 
took  up  their  abode  at  the  City  Hotel,  on  the  west  side  of 
Broadway ;  while  at  another  hotel,  the  National,  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  way,  were  the  chiefs  of  the  Sioux  and  lo- 
ways,  the  two  latter  being  in  such  deadly  hostility  to  the  two 
former  as  to  make  it  unsafe  to  place  them  in  the  same  building. 
We  went  to  see  both  parties,  having  the  advantage  of  a 
favourable  introduction  to  each,  and  were  accompanied  in 
both  our  visits  by  a  skilful  interpreter,  who  had  lived  among 
the  Indians  from  his  childhood.     The  Sauks  and  Foxes 
were  undoubtedly  the  finest  race  of  men  ;  they  were  as  tall, 
stout,  and  muscular  as  the  very  best  specimen  of  men  that 
could  be  produced  from  the  yeomanry  of  England,  and  they 
were  as  hardy  and  robust  as  they  were  large  and  well  form- 
ed.    Their  costume  was  almost  wholly  made  up  of  skins, 
furs,  and  feathers,  with  the  occasional  addition  of  a  woollen 
blanket  of  a  bright  scarlet,  saturated  with  the  vermillion 
paint  with  which  they  so  copiously  bedaub  the  body.     Their 
headdresses    were   mostly   feathers,    differently   arranged. 
They  all  wore  iuather  coverings  for  the  legs,  like  long  gai- 
ters, but  loose  over  the  foot,  and  with  innumerable  strips  of 
leather  trailing  after  them  at  considerable  length  behind  the 
heel,  so  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  fellow  them.     To  these 
gaiters  were  attached  a  number  of  silver  bells,  and,  whenever 
they  moved  or  walked,  it  was  an  evident  delight  to  them  to 
hear  the  tinkling  of  these  bells  and  the  rattle  of  the  various 
plates  of  metal  placed  at  different  points  about  Iheir  gar- 
ments.    Their  weapons  were  the   tomahawk,  the  heavy- 
headed  and  spiked  iron  mace,  and  the  bow  and  arrow; 
their  conduct  was  characterized  by  a  dignified  reserve ;  and 
their  great  aim  seemed  to  be,  not  to  manifest  the  least  feel- 
ing of  admiration  or  surprise  at  anything  they  saw.     They 
were  sufficiently  communicative  to  answer  all  our  questions, 
but  always  briefly,  and  without  asking  others  in  their  turn. 
I  had  taken  in,  as  I  was  advised,  some  suitable  presents  for 
the  principal  personages  of  the  party ;  but  they  were  re- 
ceived without   the  slightest  symptom  of  satisfaction    by 
thc;.e  to  whom  they  were  offered,  excepting  in  one  instance. 
To  the  Avife  of  the  chief  Kee-o-kuk  I  presented  a  very  hand- 
some string  of  large  and  beautiful  beads,  suitable  for  a  neck- 
lace of  great  richness  and  fulness  ;  but,  after  taking  them 
from  my  hands,  sh^  placed  them  in  her  bosom,  and  then, 
rolling  herself  in  a  vermillioned  blanket,  lay  down  at  her 
husband's  feet  on  the  floor,  without  mat  or  pillov/,  and  sunk 
aLmost  instantly  to  sleep,     I  presented  to  her  eldest  son, 


MR-   VANDSMHOPF  A«D   THB   INDIANS.  8t 

«  The  Whistling  Thunder,"  a  handsome  ivory  case,  contain- 

ing  a  knife,  a  locjcing-glass,  and  some  other  things,  ^^hich 

he  also  received  with  the  same  indifference,  and  iut  bv 

♦^e.«  r^   If  u  P«"0".  Presenting  it  was  more  honoured 

than  hirnself  by  receiving  it.     To  the  younger  son,  a  Httle 

fellow  of  about  five  years  of  age,  I  gave  a  sUver  whittle  ^d 

beUs,  auch  as  are  commonly  used  by  children  in  England, 

with  a  fine  piece  of  red  coral  at  the  end ;  and  this  little 

creature,  not  having  yet  been  trained  in  the  Indian  art  of  re- 

straimng  the  expression  of  his  natural  emotions,  burst  out 

into  a  paroxysm  of  delight,  sounding  the  whistle,  ringing  the 

bells,  shriekmg  with  pleasure,  and  dancing  aboit  thi  room. 

exclaiming  every  now  and  then,  « A-oo-A-ha-oo,"  good 

very  good,  and  clasping  my  knees  and  kissing  my  ha^d,  to 

the  great  chagrm  of  the  men,  who  talked  to  him  with 

*'Tif '"I-  ''°""*e"^nces,  but  could  not  repress  his  hilarity. 

ine  Sioux  and  loways,  whom  we  visited  at  the  National 
Hotel,  were  not  so  fine  a  race  of  men  as  the  Sauks  and  Fox- 

t?ve  "sonT  f^K'^'^^'^^i'^^y™^  ^^'  "^°r«  communica. 
Uve.     Some  of  them,  indeed,  talked  with  us  at  great  length 

^oJatt^'f'  ^^^^"g"^'^  -^-,  happened  To  be  Xe 
^pZ  f  ^\^"^^>  and,  being  struck  with  the  appearance  of 
jcars  from  burns  running  up  the  arm  of  one  of  the  chiefs 

hZ  ^YT  'I  '^'  ^^^"^^^^'  ^^  ^i«hed  to  know  howt 
happened ;  but  the  interpreter  being  in  another  part  of  the 
room,  and  engaged,  he  was  unable  to  communicate  with  the 
Indian  except  through  the  language  of  pantomime ;  he  ac! 
eordmgly  pomted  to  the  scars,  and  then,  by  a  variety  of  Jl 
nificam  signs,  indicated  his  wish  to  know  how  they  oJcu  red 

firhddt  *''  ul^  Pf ?™^^  ^^^«^  ««^--^  mo^tions  :  H^ 
hrst  held  his  right  hand  horizontally  before  his  body,  a.^  if 
grasping  a  cup  or  basin,  while  with  his  right  he  ^erf^rm 
ed  the  motion  of  lifting  something  from  thf  ground,  out^f 
which  he  poured  liquid  into  the  stationary  vesSl.  He  "he„ 
lifted  this  vessel  to  his  mouth,  and,  turnirig  back  his  heaS 
ffis  n^.v?  "F  ^''  throat,  made  signs  of  drinking  copiously 
His  next  action  was  to  rise  and  reel  about,  as  though  growl 

whpf'h    r^^f^S'^'?^'"^'  ""^"  ^^  ^^^«™«  "nable  to  stand, 
rend1n.\nrf"n'^  '  ^"'^l^T  '^^  «°™«thing,  with  flames  as-' 
n^  «nl ,  K  i^"'"^u'  °"  *^^  ^^  ^"g^"  *°  "^^^  about  with  ago. 
ny,  and  rub  his  right  arm  as  the  part  chiefly  aifected      Mr 
Vandenhoff  exclaimed,  «I  see  ifj  whiskey,  whiske-  "'a; 

waf  afwr'aft"^"  ".i'^'  T^"*  ^^^^  ^  '^^^    ^ie  facl 
was,  as  we  afterward  learned,  that  th«  wh.to  ..«««u  u„^ 

.na^ejumdrunk,  as  they  too  often  do,  with"ardem 'spirUs; 


88 


STATIS    OF   NBW-yoKK. 


v; 


and  he  had  fallen  on  a  large  wood  fire,  and  thus  got  dread- 
fully burned.  ° 

In  the  course  of  conversation  with  the  chiefs  of  this  tribe 
they  expressed  great  admiration  of  my  wife's  dress  and  or' 
naments,  and  were  especially  enamoured  with  the  feathers 
which  she  happened  then  to  wear  in  her  bonnet.     With  my 
your.ger  son,  Leicester,  they  were  even  still  more  pleased, 
and  were  quite  astonished  that  one  so  young  should  come 
so  far  away  from  home,  over  the  "great  sea,'  of  which  they 
seem  to  have  a  most  terrible  idea.     They  asked  us  whether,  in 
the  course  o(  our  journey,  we  intended  to  come  so  far  west 
as  their  prairies  and  forests ;  and  we  answered  that  this  was 
what  we  intended,  and  hoped  to  accomplish ;  but  that  our 
stay  would  be  short,  as  we  should  desire  only  to  see  their 
country,  and  then  return  home,  without  settling  in  it.     This 
was  no  sooner  interpreted  to  them  than  s?veral  Indian  voi- 
ces  exclaimed,  as  we  afterward  learned,  "  Does  he  say  so  » 
does  he  say  so  ?     He  is  welcome  !  he  is  welcome  !"     And, 
when  this  assurance  was  repeated,  the  principal  chief  of  the 
tribe  advanced  to  me,  and  grasping  my  hand  firmly,  he  «»aid, 
with  a  grave  countenance,  looking  at  me,  but  addressing 
himself  to  the  interpreter,  "  Tell  this  white  man  that  if  he 
comes  to  see  us,  and  goes  away  again,  leaving  us  in  posses- 
sion  of  our  lands  undisturbed,  ve  will  bless  his  name  for- 
ever.     The  white  men  come,  they  look  at  our  lands,  they 
take  them  from  us,  they  drive  us  far  off ;  we  become  settled, 
they  disturb  us,  and  drive  Ub  farther  off  again,  because  they 
want  our  lands  for  themselves,  and,  therefore,  we  likM  not 
their  footsteps  ;  but  if  he  will  come,  and  share  our  feasts,  and 
srnoke  our  calumet,  and  then  return  to  his  own  home    we 
wiIJ  give  him  a  welcome  such  as  white  nu  ->  do  not  often  re- 
cei  ve.       I  repeated  my  assurance,  and  e vei.  ventured  to  add 
my  deep  regret  that  all  white  men  could  net  be  prevailed 
upon  to  leave  them  in  the  quiet  possession  of  the  hunting- 
grounds  and  graves  of  their  fathers  ;  anH  *!,«  sentiment  was 
one  that  evidently  touched  all  their  avr^  ,.thies. 

^u^V'^fr"^*!  ^^,  *  ^°"?  ^"^  ^  melancholy  narrative  to  relate 
the  half  of  what  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  hear,  without  leaving 
New- York,  of  the  ill-treatment  of  the  Indians  by  the  whites 
who  teach  them  all  our  vices,  but  especially  drunkenness! 
for  the  purpose  of  defrauding  them,  while  thus  intoxicated 
m  the  various  bargains  of  tra«w  and  sale  in  which  they  are 
engaged,  in  addition  to  this,  still  more  deliberate  and  cold- 
wooded  injuries  are  practised  by  whites  of  comparative  op- 
mence  upon  their  unsusoectine' ffimalpa      Th*.  ^,,u^,„:.,„  ;„ 


t 


HEARTLESSNEB8   OF  A  TRADER. 


88 


abridged  from  a  very  interesting  but  little-known  work,  en- 
titled "  Dragoon  Campaigns  to  the  Rocky  Mountains," 
written  by  a  young  gentleman  of  New- York,  who  present- 
ed me  with  a  copy,  and  who  states  that  he  had  the  facts 
from  the  mouth  of  an  old  Indian  in  the  Far  West,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  sinking  under  the  weight  of  his  years. 

In  1814,  an  American  trader  of  considerable  influence, 
thinking  he  should  strengthen  his  mercantile  connexions 
among  the  Missouri  Indians,  succeeded  m  prevailing  on 
one  of  the  principal  families  of  the  Omawha  tribe  of  In- 
dians to  permit  him  to  marry  one  of  their  daughters,  who 
was  remarkably  beautiful.     The  marriage  being  consumma- 
ted, she  soon  bore  him  a  son  and  a  daughter,  one  of  w:hich 
she  permitted  the  father  to  take  with  him  to  the  country  of 
the  whites,  and  the  other  she  retained  with  her.     On  his  re- 
turn,  however,  to  the  Indian  territory,  it  was  found  that  he 
had  married  a  white  wife  in  his  absence,  and  that  he  now 
demanded  the  surrender  of  the  second  child,  and  the  repu- 
diation of  its  mother.     To  this,  of  course,  she  refused  her  as- 
sent.    The  trader  then  offered  her  a  considerable  present  if 
she  would  go  away  and  leave  her  child ;  upon  which  she 
exclaimed,  "  Is  my  child  a  dog,  that  I  should  sell  him  for 
merchaudise  ?    You  cannot  drive  me  away  ;  you  may  beat 
ma,  it  is  true,  and  otherwise  abuse  me,  but  I  will  still  remain 
with  you.     When  you  married  me,  you  promised  to  use  me 
kmdly  as  long  as  I  should  be  faithful  to  you.     That  I  have 
been  so,  no  one  can  deny.     Ours  was  not  a  marriage  con- 
tracted  for  a  season  ;  no,  it  was  to  terminate  only  with  our 
lives.     I  was  then  a  young  girl,  and  might  have  been  uni- 
ted  to  an  Omawha  chief,  but  I  am  now  an  old  woman,  hav- 
inj,  had  two  children,  and  what  Omawha  will  regard  me  ? 
Is  not  iiij-  right  paramount  to  that  of  /our  other  wife  ?     She 
had  not  heard  of  me  before  you  possv^ssed  her.     It  is  true, 
her  skin  is  whiter  than  mLie,  but  her  heart  oannot  be  more 
pure  towards  you,  nr.r  her  fidelity  more  rigid."     Happily, 
the  mfant  was  se.^ure     .o  its  devoted  mother,  but  the  heart- 
less wretch  of  a  ixader  abandoned  her  forever.     Who  can 
wonder,  therefore,  when  the  Indians  are  continually  receiv- 
ing injuries,  and  rarely,  if  ever,  hlep:.h.,^      om  the  hand  of 
the  white  man,  that  they  should  not '  like  his  footsteps  ?" 

Soon  after  the  visit  of  the  Saukr  ?iv;  1  Foxes,  and  Sioux 
and  loways,  another  party  of  Indiana  arrived  at  New- York, 
consistmg  of  Pawnees,  Oraawhas,  and  Otoes.  W3  saw  the 
whole  of  these  also,  but  there  was  nothing  peculiar  in  them 
to  desorve  a  detailed  description.     The  following  account  of 


8*  STATE   OP   NEW-YORK. 

their  visit,  with  their  names,  is  given  in  the  New- York  Ex- 
press of  November,  30  1837 : 

in^?^®  J"^®.^**,'"]?  ^1l^"'  ?^®'^  ^•'68  of  Indians,  under  charge  of  Ma- 
i^  h^?H"*^^""*y'  f "  ^^t^  ^^y  yestenlay  for  Washington,  whS?  they  are 
to  hold  a  council  with  the  secretary  of  war. 

inl'  '^''®?'  *PP«?™'*  *«  !>«  much  pleased  with  their  visit  to  the  city,  hav. 
s"ftnff  f.,'^^*'''  *l**l'",^'^*i'^^  Navy-yard,  theatres,  museums,  Ac.  On 
Saturday  they  visited  M/.  Catlin  at  his  exhibition-room  in  Broadway, 
YSL  •!  «P«»' several  years  among  them  and  other  tribes  of  Indians 
After  viewing  his  splendid  collection  of  Indian  portraits,  landscapes,  and 
curiosities,  he  took  them  into  another  room,  where  he  had  several  of 

Jn.!J.hTiv^Tl*!l'^^?''!?  they  discovered  at  once,  and  appeared  to  be 
much  delighted  at  the  sight  of  their  own  faces  on  the  canvass 

They  were  received  by  the  mayor  and  Common  Council  at  the  City 
Mall  on  Saturday,  and  a  great  variety  of  presents  were  made  them, 
consisting  of  red  and  bhie  broadcloths,  knives,  glasses,  beads,  &c. 
»«  nT^T!  *""  ^'^'^  at  the  Navy-yard,  one  of  them  applied  the  match 

nn«  JPf^if*  *"'""^7  ""l^'^^i^.  *^®  S"^«°"  '■  *«  effect  astonished  them  : 
one  of  them  said  he  thought  the  Great  Spirit  could  only  produce  thun- 
der, biit  he  had  now  seen  it  among  the  white  men ;  that,  for  the  future, 
the  Indian  would  avoid  collision  with  his  white  brethren,  as  he  was 
convinced  they  were  too  powerful  for  them.  * 

"  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  tribes  and  chiefs : 

SRAND  PA WNBB  TRIBE. 

Shouk-ka-ki-he-gah Horse  chief. 

La-char-e-ta-roox Fearless  chief. 

La-do-ke-ah Buffalo  buU. 

Ah-shaw-waw-zookste  ....  Medicine  horse. 

PAWREB  TAPA6E  TRIBE. 

La-kee-too-me-ra-sha    ....  Little  chief. 

La-paw-koo-re-loo Chief  partisan. 

Loo-ra-we-re-coo      .....  Bird  that  goes  to  war 

Ta-Ia-coosh-ca-roo-mah-an     .    .  Partisan  toat  sings. 

PAWNEE  REPUBLICAN  TRIBE. 

Ah-shaw-Ia-coots-ah      ....  Mole  in  the  face. 

La-shaw-le-straw-hix     ....  Man  chiaf. 

La-wee-re-coo-re-shaw-we     .    .  War  chief. 

Se-ah-ke-ra-le-re-coo     ....  The  Chyemie. 

PAWNEE  LOUP  TRIBE. 

Le-shaw-loo-la-le-hoo    ....  Big  chief. 

Lo-lock-to-hoo-lah Handsome  pipe  in  his  hand. 

i.5\,wa-he-coots-k  sha-no  ,    .    .  Brave  chief. 

Share-tar-reesh Ili-natured  man. 

OHAWHA  HACO  TRIBE. 

Ki-he-eah-w  aw-shii^she     .    .    .  Brave  chief. 

Om-pnh-tong-gah Big  elk. 

Sha-dah-mon-ne There  he  goes. 

Nora-bah-mon-ne Double-walker. 

'  -^      5  OTOE  TRIBE. 

Maw-do-ne-sah He  who  snrrotmds. 

p?.".!^^r.^.t".^"?:^_^  ,._'_,.•    •    •    •    He  who  strikes  two  at  once. 
K.-.rr-i:0--.T^y  wa;v-&raii      .     .     .     Loose  pipe- haniiie. 
VVe-ree-roo-ta He  who  exchanges. 


RKPLY   OF   AN   INDIAN   CHIKF. 


MISSOURI  TMI«. 


During  the  stay  ot  .hese  Indians  in  New-York,  they  were 
as  much  objects  of  curiosity  to  the  inhabitants  as  they 
would  have  been  to  the  residents  of  London.  Whereve* 
they  went,  whether  to  the  theatre  or  the  museum,  the  Bat- 
tery or  the  steamboat,  crowds  of  persons  of  both  sexes,  who 
had  never  before,  perhaps,  seen  so  many  Indians,  and  of  such 
distant  tribes,  in  their  lives,  followed  them  in  the  streets,  and 
their  hotels  were  crowded  at  all  hours  of  the  day.  Such 
are  the  revolutions  of  things,  that  the  aboriginal  Indians, 
who  less  than  two  centuries  ago  were  the  sole  occupants  of 
the  very  island  on  which  New- York  is  built,  are  now  stran- 
gers in  the  land  of  their  fathers. 

The  reply  made  by  one  of  the  Indian  chiefs  to  General 
Knox,  who  was  entertaining  in  the  city  of  New- York  a 
deputation  from  the  tribes,  is  full  of  melancholy  truth ;  and 
perhaps  it  interested  me  the  more,  from  the  resemblance  of 
the  fate  of  the  Indians  of  the  West  to  those  of  the  East,  as 
both  have  been  dispossessed  of  their  lands  and  dominions 
by  their  white  conquerors ;  for  the  language  used  by  the 
Indian  of  America  is  precisely  that  vhioh  might,  with  equal 
propriety,  be  used  by  a  native  Indii.-  <  f  A^alabar,  of  Coro- 
mandel,  or  of  Bengal. 

"What  makes  you  so  melancholy?"  said  General  Knox 
to  the  Indian  chief,  who  was  observed  to  be  very  thoughtff'^ 
amid  the  gayeties  of  the  entertainment  prepared  for  himself 
and  his  brethren  of  the  forest.     "  I  will  tell  you,  br  i^rrr  '» 
was  the  chiefs  reply :  "  I  have  been  looking  at  your  bvf,.  > 
tiful  city,  your  great  waters,  full  of  ships,  your  line  cour.rr  .  - 
and  1  see  how  prosperous  you  all  are.     But,  then,  I  cou/d 
not  help  thinking  that  this  fine  country  was  once  ours.     Our 
ancestors  lived  here.     They  enjoyed  it  as  their  own,  in 
fu^^^\}i  w^»  the  gift  of  the  Great  Spirit  to  them  and  to 
then-  children.     At  last  white  men  came  in  a  great  canoe  : 
they  only  asked  to  let  them  tie  it  to  a  tree,  lest  the  water 
should  carry  it  away.     We  consented.     They  then  said 
some  of  their  people  were  sick,  and  .bey  asked  permission 
to  land  them,  and  put  them  under  the  sbade  of  the  trees. 
Ihe  ice  came,  and  they  could  not  go  away.     They  then 
begged  a  piece  of  land  to  build  wigwams  for  the  winter. 
We  granted  it  to  them.     They  then  asked  corn  to  keep 
them  froni^starving.     We  furnished  it  out  of  our  own  scanty 
=uppijr.     iiicy  promistu  io  go  away  when  the  ice  melted. 

@ 


86 


STATE    OF   NEW-YORK. 


When  this  happened,  instead  of  going  away  as  they  had 
promised,  they  pointed  to  the  big  guns  round  the  wigwams, 
and  they  said,    'We   shall   stay  here.'     Afterward   came 
more.     They  brought  intoxicating  drinks,  of  which  the  In- 
dians became  fond.     They  persuaded  them  to  sell  them  our 
land,  and,  finally,  have  driven  us  back,  from  time  to  time, 
to  the  wilderness,  far  from  the  water,  the  fish,  and  the  oys- 
ters.     They  have  scared  away  our  game.     My  people  are 
wasting  away.     We  live  in  the  want  of  all  things,  while 
you  are  enjoying  abundance  in  our  fine  and  beautiful  coun- 
try.    This  makes  me  sorry,  brother,  and  I  cannot  help  it." 
The  following  anecdote  was  related  to  me  at  New-York 
by  an  elderly  gentleman,  nearly  seventy,  who  had  passed 
many  years  with  the  Indians,  both  in  the  early  and  middle 
periods  of  his  life.     He  was  at  one  time  deputed  to  treat 
with  the  tribe  of  Oneidas,  west  of  Lake  Erie,  for  the  pur- 
chase of  a  large  tract  of  their  land,  and  the  payment  of 
100,000  dollars  was  agreed  to  be  given  to  them  for  it.     The 
Indians,  who  have  no  conception  of  numbers  beyond  a  hun- 
dred, could  not  be  made  to  comprehend  how  much  this  sum 
was,  until  a  number  of  kegs  or  barrels  were  procured  and 
ranged  along  in  line,  and  the  number  of  these  kegs  which 
100,000  dollars  would  fill  gave  them  some  idea  of  their 
multiplicity ;  while  a  conception  of  their  weight  was  con- 
veyed by  describing  how  many  horses  it  would  require  to 
carry  them  if  they  were  loaded  on  their  backs.     It  was  then 
thought  that  this  great  sum  was  too  'large  to  be  divided 
among  the  Indians  at  one  time,  as  it  would  probably  soon 
be  all  spent,  and  they  would  then  be  destitute.     To  provide 
against  this,  it  Avas  suggested  that  the  principal  sum  should 
be  deposited  in  the  United  States'  Bank ;  that  the  govern- 
ment  for  the  time  being  should  be  made  perpetual  trustees 
for  its  custody ;  and  that  the  interest  of  this  sum,  at  seven 
per  cent.,  or  7000  dollars,  should  be  divided  among  them 
every  yeaT  forever. 

This  proposition  was  much  approved  of;  but  the  Indians 
could  not  be  made  to  comprehend  what  a  bank  was,  or  how 
7000  dollars  could  be  paid  to  them  every  year  from  this 
bank,  and  the  100,000  still  remain  undiminished.  Among 
the  various  suppositions  in  which  they  indulged  on  this  sub- 
ject, one  was,  that  the  bank  was  a  place  where,  by  some 
extraordinary  process,  silver  increased  in  bulk  and  size  by 
one  seventh  in  every  year,  and  that  the  7000  dollars  was  to 
be  made  out  of  the  yearly  increase  of  the  metal  by  growth, 
when  the  surplus  would  be  cut  off.  and, the  remainder  al- 


SUPPOSED   HEBREW   ORIGIN    OP   INDIANS. 


lowed  to  grow  again.  Another  belief  was,  that  when  the 
dollars  were  put  into  this  mysterious  bank,  they  propagated 
and  increased  their  kind,  and  that  the  7000  ^iill-grown  dol- 
lars were  taken  out  of  the  100,000,  and  ti;  '  places  left  to 
be  supplied  by  the  little  dollars  growing  up  to  be  big  ones, 
like  the  rest.  The  more  general  belief  was,  however,  that 
the  bank  was  a  place  where  a  peculiar  soil  existed,  in  which 
the  dollars  were  sown,  like  grain,  and  every  year  produced 
a  crop,  which  was  to  furnish  the  7000  dollars  of  annual  in- 
terest. So  general  was  this  belief,  that  the  gentleman  who 
made  the  purchase  was  often  afterward  asked  whether  the 
seasons  were  favourable,  and  the  crop  promising  at  Phila- 
delphia, so  that  they  might  be  certain  of  receiving  their  full 
share. 

In  the  annual  division  of  this  sum,  he  said  that  each  father 
received  a  share  proportioned  to  the  number  of  his  children  ; 
and  that  each  person  coming  to  the  place  of  division  brought 
his  blanket,  which  he  spread  on  the  ground,  laying  on  it  a 
number  of  short  sticks,  indicating  the  number  of  his  family, 
and  the  youngest  and  the  oldest  of  these  had  an  equal  por- 
tion. They  have  no  individual  property  except  in  their 
tents,  horses,  weapons,  and  apparel ;  all  else  is  held  in  com- 
munity, and  the  chief  and  the  humbler  Indians  all  share 
alike. 

An  opinion  has  often  been  expressed  that  the  Indians  of 
America  are  descendants  of  some  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel  • 
but  this  opinion  had  never,  perhaps,  been  put  forth,  with  all 
the  data  on  which  it  was  founded,  until  of  late.  So  recently 
as  the  year  1837,  Major  Noah,  the  editor  of  the  New- York 
Evening  Star,  and  himself  a  Jew  of  some  learning,  delivered 
a  public  lecture  before  the  Mercantile  Library  Association 
of  New- York,  at  Clinton  Hall,  intended  to  establish  this 
fact ;  and  the  following  are  among  the  most  prominent  points 
established  in  that  discourse. 

The  latest  notice  that  is  given  of  the  dispersed  tribes  of 
Israel  in  the  Sacred  Writings  is  in  the  Book  of  Esdras, 
where  the  following  verses  occur  : 

"  Whereas  thou  sawest  another  peaceable  multitude :  these 
are  the  ten  tribes  which  were  carried  away  prisoners  out  of 
their  own  land  in  the  time  of  Osea,  whom  Salmanazar,  king 
of  Assyria,  led  away  captive,  and  he  carried  them  over  the 
waters,  so  that  they  came  unto  another  land." 

'*  They  took  this  counsel  among  themselves,  that  they 
would  leave  the  multitude  of  the  heathen,  and  go  into  a  far- 
ther f.ountry,  ivhcrein  mankind  never  dwelt,  that  they  might 


m  STATI   or  NKW-YORK. 

there  keep  their  statutes,  which  they  never  kept  in  their  own 
land  (Assyria) :  and  there  was  a  great  way  to  go,  namely, 
a  year  and  a  half." 

It  is  supposed  that  these  tribes  marched  from  the  banks 
of  the  Euphrates  to  the  northeast  of  Asia,  some  remaining 
by  the  way  in  Tartary  and  China  ;  in  proof  of  which,  Ben- 
jamin df  Tudela,  who  travelled  in  the  eleventh  century 
through  Persia,  mentions,  that  in  some  of  the  provinces  of 
that  country,  at  the  time  of  the  derree  of  Ahasuerus,  there 
were  at  least  300,000  Jews.  Alvarez,  in  his  history  of  Chi- 
na, states  that  there  had  been  Jews  livinf^  in  that  kingdom 
for  many  hundreds  of  years.  Some  went  to  India,  as  a 
Hebrew  letter  of  the  Jews  of  Cochin-China,  written  to  their 
brethren  at  Amsterdam,  gives,  as  the  date  of  their  coming 
into  that  country,  the  period  when  the  Romans  first  con- 
quered the  Holy  Land,  and  made  Judea  a  province  of  the 
Roman  empire,  which  was  some  time  before  the  birth  of 
Christ. 

From  the  various  parts  of  Asia  it  is  believed  that  the 
more  enterprising  and  persevering  went  on  gradually  ad- 
vancing by  degrees  to  its  northeastern  extremity,  till  they 
arrived  ai  Bel^ring's  Straits,  where,  during  the  winter,  it 
would  be  pcrf-cUy  easy  to  cross  oy^t  to  the  nearest  part  of 
the  Continent  of  America,  a  d'onjiee  of  less  than  thirty 
miles,  and  this  rendered  more  t:  ..y  by  the  existence  of  the 
Copper  Islands  in  the  way.  iii»x  ?  ii  is  believed  that,  du- 
ring a  course  of  two  thousand  yowrs,  they  spread  them- 
selves from  this  point  northward  to  Labrador,  and  southward 
to  Cape  Horn,  multiplying  as  they  proceeded ;  some  settling 
in  every  part,  but  more  populously  in  the  rich  countries  and 
agreeable  climate  of  Central  America,  including  California, 
Texas,  Mexico,  and  Peru. 

On  the  first  discovery  of  this  continent  by  Columbus, 
those  races  now  called  Indians  were  found  in  very  differ- 
ent stages  of  civilization.  They  were  not  all  either  rude, 
or  sa-'age,  or  ferocious ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  greater 
number  of  them  were  remarkable  for  qualities  that  bespoke 
a  noble  origin.  They  had  simple  but  sublime  ideas  of  a 
Supreme  Being,  unmixed  with  the  least  tincture  of  idolatry; 
they  had  courage,  constancy,  humanity,  hospitality,  elo- 
quence, love  of  their  families,  and  fidelity  to  friends.  It  is, 
however,  in  the  religious  belief  and  ceremonies  of  the  In- 
dians, more  than  in  anything  else,  that  their  resemblance  to 
the  people  from  whom  they  are  believed  to  have  descended 
18  to  be  traced  ;  and  the  chief  points  of  these  are  thus  enu- 


^GREEMKNT   6V  JEWISH    AN       (NDIAf'    CUSTOMS. 


89 


merated:  1st,  Theirbo'Ief  in  one  liod.  ^  Their  compu- 
tation of  time  by  the  ceremoiiif  of  the  ne  v  moon.  3d 
Their  division  of  th  year  into  scisons  corresponding  with 
the  Jewish  festivals,  of  the  least  of  flowers,  the  day  of 
atonement,  the  feast  of  the  t -Sernac  '  •,  ;  iid  other*  religious 
holydays.  4th,  The  erection  of  a  temple  after  the  manner 
of  the  Jews,  with  an  ark  of  the  covenant  and  altars.  5th, 
The  division  of  their  nation  into  tribes,  with  a  chief  or 
gratui  sachem  at  their  head.  6th,  Their  laws  of  sacrifices, 
ablufKMis,  marriapfes,  cor<  monies  in  war  and  peace,  the  pro- 
hil'ition  of  certum  mod,  according  to  the  ^osaic  rule,  their 
traditions,  history,  cliaracier,  appearance,  alllnity  of  their 
language  to  the  Hebrew,  and,  finally,  by  that  everlasting 
covenant  of  heirship  exhibited  in  a  perpetual  transmission 
of  its  seal  ii  their  ilesL 

Such  art  the  points  enumerated  by  Major  Noah  in  his 
disco  --se;  ^d  in  the  subsequent  parts  of  it  he  adduces 
proofs,  stiengthened  by  thi-  nions  of  very  eminent  per- 
sons, wl  )se  authorities  he  (  Amorfg  these  are  named 
Adair,  Heckewelder,  Charh  <i\,  M'Kenzie,  Bartram,  Bel- 
tram  ,  S  ith,  Penn,  and  Mr,  Simon,  the  last  of  whom  had 
written  q  highly-interesting  work  on  this  subject.  Major 
Noah  says  that  all  these  writers  were  struck  with  resem- 
blances among  the  customs  of  the  Indians  to  those  with 
which  they  were  acquainted  as  peculiar  to  the  Jews ;  but 
the  fact  of  Major  Noah  being  a  Jew  himself,  gives  him 
great  advantage  over  even  all  these,  from  his  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  Jewish  opinions,  ceremonies,  and  usages, 
in  all  the  minutite  of  their  details. 

They  call  the  Supreme  Being  Lo-ak  (Light)  Ish-ta-hoola- 
aba;    which,   says   the  writer,  is   distinctly   Hebrew,  and 
means  "  The  great,  supreme,  beneficent  Holy  Spirit  of  Fire, 
who  resides  above."     They  have  another  name  for  the  Dei- 
ty, which,  like  the  Jews,  they  never  use  in  common  speech, 
but  only  when  performing  their  most  sacred  religio'-    rites, 
and  then  they  most  solemnly  divide  it  into  syllables,  with 
mtermediate  words,  so  as  not  to  pronounce  the  ineffable 
name  at  once.     In  the  sacred  dances  at  the  feast  of  the  first- 
fruits,  they  sing  Alelujah  and  Mesheha,  from  the  Hebrew 
of  Mesheach,  the   Messiah,  "the  anointed  one,"  exclaim- 
ing "  Yo,  mesheha,"   "  He,  mesheha,"   *«  Wah,  mesheha," 
thus  makmg  the  Alelujah,  the  Meshiah,  the  Jehovah.     On 
some  occasions  they  sing  "  Shilu-yo,  Shilu-he,  Shilu-ivah,'' 
the  three  terminations  making  up,  in  their  order,  the  four 
lettered  Divine  name  in  Hebrew   and   ~" 


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STATE   or  NEW-YORK. 


ly  "  Shiloth  the  messenger,  the  peace-maker."  The  num- 
ber of  Hebrew  words  used  in  their  religious  services  is, 
says  Major  Noah,  incredible,  and  he  gives  abundant  instan- 
ces ;  among  which,  the  name  of  lightning  is  Eloah,  and  the 
rumbling  of  thunder  is  called  Rowahy  from  the  Hebrew 
word  Ruach,  or  spirit. 

The  Indians  divide  the  year  into  four  seasons,  with  festi- 
vals peculiar  to  each ;  they  calculate  by  moons,  and  celebrate, 
as  the  Jews  do,  the  berachah  helebana,  "  the  blessing  for  the 
new  moon."  The  chief  priest  wears  a  breastplate  of  a 
white  conch-she]|,  ornamented  so  as  to  reserable  the  pre- 
cious stones  in  the  Urim,  and  he  binds  his  brow  with  a 
wreath  of  swan's  feathers,  and  wears  a  tuft  of  white  feath* 
,er8  which  he  calls  Yatina.  The  Indians  have  their  ark, 
which  they  invariably  carry  with  them  to  battle,  and  never 
r-^fer  it  to  rest  on  the  ground  or  to  be  unguarded ;  and 
they  have  as  great  faith  in  the  power  of  their  ark  as  the  Is- 
raelites ever  had  in  theirs.  "  No  person,"  says  Adair,  "  is 
ever  permitted  to  open  all  the  coverings  of  this  ark ;  and 
tradition  informs  them  that  curiosity  having  induced  three 
different  persons  to  examine  the  mysterious  shell,  they  were 
immediately  punished  for  their  profanation  by  blindness,  the 
yery  punishment  threatened  to  the  Jews  for  daring  to  look 
upon  the  Holy  of  Holies." 

Their  observance  of  a  great  day  of  atonement,  about  the 
same  period  of  the  year  at  which  it  is  observed  by  the  Jews, 
attended  with  many  of  the  same  ceremonies,  and  for  the 
came  object,  is  extremely  remarkable;  and  as  it  respects 
sacrifices,  the  resemblance  is  even  still  more  striking.  The 
bathings,  ablutions,  and  anointings  are  Jewish  in  their  char- 
acter, as  is  also  the  abstaining  from,  eating  the  blood  of  any 
animal,  from  the  use  of  swine's  flesh,  of  fish  without  scales, 
and  other  animals  and  birds  deemed  by  the  Mosaic  law  to 
be  impure.  Women  caught  in  adultery  are  stoned  to  death, 
as  among  the  Jews  of  old ;  and,  as  in  the  Mosaic  law,  the 
brother  is  obliged  to  marry  the  widow  of  his  brother  if  he 
die  without  issue. 

Of  the  authors  who  have  written  in  support  of  these  views 
there  is  a  very  long  catalogue,  and  some  of  very  early  date. 
Manasseh  Ben  Israel,  a  learned  Jew,  who  flourished  about 
1650,  wnrote  a  treatise  to  prove  that  the  Indians  were  de- 
scended from  the  Israelites ;  this  was  soon  after  the  discov- 
ery of  America  by  Columbus.  William  Penn,  the  Quaker, 
founder  of  Pennsylvania,  though  he  does  not  appear  to  have 
suspected  this  descent,  says,  in  one  of  his  letters  to  his  friends 


JEWISH    CUSTOMS   OF  THE    INDIANS. 


i(l 


m  England,  of  the  Indians,  "  I  found  them  with  like  coun- 
tenances to  the  Hebrew  races.     I  consider  these  people  as 
under  a  dark  night,  yet  they  believe  in  God  and  immortal- 
£7  ff     .V''^  i^  of  metaphysics.    They  reckon  by  moons, 
they  offer  their  first-npe  fruits,  they  have  a  kind  of  feast  of 
tabernacles,  they  are  said  to  lay  their  altars  with  twelve 
stones ;  they  mourn  a  year,  and  observe  the  Jewish  law  with 
respect  to  separation  "     The  Rev.  Mr.  Beatty,  a  missionary 
among  the  Indians,  Emanuel  de  Mezeray,  a  Portuguese  hii 
torian  of  the  Brazils  Monsieur  de  Guignes,  the  French  his- 
torian  of  Chma,  Beltrami,  the  Italian  traveller,  who  discov- 
!n!i  .1  ^^""T^^  °J  the  Mississippi,  all  concur  in  this  view; 
and  the  Earl  of  Crawford  and  Lindsey,  who  published  his 
rravels  in  America  in  1801,  says,  "  It  is  curious  and  pleas- 
ing  to  find  how  the  customs  of  these  people  comport  with 

truthT/rh^'r.'-"     ^'  ^^*^'""^  «^^«' "I*  ^-  -"nd 
truth  that  the  Indians  are  descended  from  the  ten  tribes- 

LwilJ^SeiTtT'^'""  "^"  ""^  ^"'  "^^'^  «"^--  '^ 

mnt"'''r^»!!'°^^'*'T  .«»^  Mexico  and  Peru,  who  were  the 
most  enlightened  and  civilized,  though  all  springing  from  the 
same  stock,  the  resemblance,  were  more  manifest.  Mon! 
tesini,  who  travelled  in  South  America,  states  that  «  his  In- 
tn^  g'^'^Vdmitted  to  him  that  his  God  was  called  Adonai; 
«ni«t^  acknowledged  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  as  hii 
ancestors,  and  claimed  to  be  descended  from  the  tribe  of 

dfllpri  »  T^^^  r'^  ^^^  ^^  ^'"^  *°  "^«  'behind  the  c". 
dilleras.  Acoasta  mentions  that  they  have  a  tradition  rel- 
ative  to  the  great  deluge ;  that  they  preserve  the  rite  of  c£ 

aZ'tW  ;.^"Sr^"-^''^"  '^'^  ^^t^*'^  P«««hal  lamb  h; 
whth  .?  •'^'  Mexicans  point  out  the  various  stations  by 
which  their  ancestors  advanced  into  the  country,  and  it^ 
precisely  the  route  by  which  they  must  have  come'to  Amer^ 
ica,  supposing  them  to  have  emigrated  from  Asia.  Ma^S- 
trn^?'"  Israel  declares  that  the  Indians  of  Mexico  had  a 
tradmon  that  their  magnificent  places  of  worship  had  been 
bmlt  by  a  people  who  wore  their  beards,  and  were  more  an- 
S t:  ^^T,i»-\Escobartus  affirms  that  he  frTque„% 

fid  on  sf^M'^^r'^'u*^^*  «^^"'"^  tombstones  were 
Whl  ??  I     ^•'^'lael's  with  ancient  Hebrew  characters 

siaered  a  holy  city  by  the  natives,  in  which  the  hiffh-oriest 
Quetzacolt,  preached  "peace  to  man,"  and  wouM  pS 


92 


STATE    OF   NEW-YOHK. 


no  Other  offerings  to  the  Master  of  Life  than  the  first-fruits 
of  the  harvest.  "We  know  by  our  traditions,"  said  the 
venerable  prince  Montezuma  to  the  Spanish  general  Cortez, 
that  we  who  inhabit  the  country  are  not  the  natives,  but 
strangers  who  came  from  a  great  distance." 

As  striking  a  resemblance  as  any  of  the  preceding  is  pre- 
sented  between  the  great  temple  founded  in  Mexico  by  the 
Inca  Yupanque  and  the  Temple  of  Solomon,  of  which  many 
think  It  was  a  copy  ;  so  remarkable  was  it  for  its  resemblance 
to  this  in  Its  size,  its  plan,  and  its  wealth.    Clavagero  and  De 
Vega,  speaking  of  the  Indian  temple,  say  thus  :  «  The  altar 
was  on  the  east  side  of  the  temple;  there  were  many  doors 
to  the  building,  all  of  which  were  plated  with  gold ;  and  the 
four  walls,  the  whole  way  round,  were  crowned  with  a  rich 
golden  garland  more  than  an  ell  in  width.     Round  the  tern- 
pie  were  five  square  paviUons,  whose  tops  were  in  the  form 
of  pyramids.     The  fifth  was  lined  entirely  with  gold,  and 
was  for  the  use  of  the  royal  high-priest  of  sacrifices!"    Lord 
Kmgsborough,  m  his  Travels,  not  only  declares  that  this 
temple  at  Palenque  was  built  by  the  Jews,  but  that  he  con- 
siders  It  to  be  an  exact  copy  of  Solomon's  Temple,  being  nre- 
cisely  after  the  model  described  by  Ezekiel. 

All  this  is  so  remarkable— and  much  more  than  is  here 
condensed  is  adduced  in  the  form  of  evidence  in  Maior 
Noah  8  Discourse— that  it  is  impossible  not  to  be  struck  with 
it ;  and  if  the  opinions  of  competent  authorities,  the  customs 
ot  the  people  still  preserved  and  now  existing,  as  well  as 
their  ovyn  traditions  as  to  their  origin,  all  tend  to  the  same 
conclusion,  the  mference  is  irresistible.     Du  Pratz   in  an 
swer  to  the  question  -.hich  he  put  to  the  Natchez  tribe 
Whence  come  you.-'  says  that  they  answered  him  thus: 
'  AH  that  we  know  is,  that  our  fathers,  to  come  hither,  fol- 
lowed  the  course  of  the  sun,  and  came  from  the  place  where 
he  rises.     They  were  long  in  their  journey,  they  were  nearly 
perishing,  and  were  brought  to  this  wilderness  of  the  sun- 
setting  without  seeking  it." 

The  latest,  and,  in  many  respects,  the  best  authority  as  to 
the  appearance  of  the  Indians,  is  Mr.  Catlin,  who  lived  so 
many  years  among  them,  and  whom  we  so  often  saw  in 
New- York,  with  his  extensive  and  interesting  collection  of 
Indian  portraits,  dresses,  weaponsj  and  curiosities.  This 
gentleman,  while  he  enumerates  very  many  of  the  customs 
and  usages  of  the  Indians,  which  he  thinks  are  clearly  of 
Jewish  origin,  says,  "  The  first  thing  that  strikes  the  travel- 
ler in  an  Indian  country  as  evidei;ice  of  the  Indians  being  of 


BBITBTOLKNT  INSTITUTIONS. 


93 


Jewish  origin  (and  it  is  certainly  a  very  forcible  one),  is  the 
close  resemblance  which  they  generallj  bear,  in  certain  ex! 
pression  of  countenance,  to  those  people." 

This  subject  might  be  pu/sued  to  great  length ;  but  I 

Sri^  r?T'  ^'^"*  '^^  conviction  that  enough  hks  been 
adduced  of  fact,  reasomng,  and  authority,  to  prSve  at  least 

tluTT'^t  P'^°^/'>i%  ^V^^e  Indians  "^f  Africa  be?ng 
really  the  descendants  of  the  Israelites  of  old ;  and  I  mav 
add,  that  the  belief  in  their  Asiatic  origin  was  stronglyTZ 
pressed  on  my  own  mind  from  aU  I  saw  of  the  Indian!  here ; 
while  there  appears  to  me  nothing  in  their  present  state  and 
condition  which  may  not  be  easily  accounted  for  by  the 
long  bpse  oi  ages  which  have  passed  since  their  migrations 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Seamen continu^.-Asvlum  for  th«  BHnH t?  n  if  '^®~^*"^*°'*"'  'n'titutioi.:  for 
Society,  r  ForSn  Portritt'f  MaM«?r^^  '»^^^^^^  ^"™'* 

Seaman's  Savings  Bank.  MarinertPhnrrh  *SLHf'i  «'*  ^"^°K'  '^'''™'T  ^"Pplied.^ 
port  and  Instruction  of  the  BHnH-Siril^„*  p"*"'  Society.-Inetiti-  for  tlie  Sup. 
£stabliahmen™-A"yIu.X  S;^  Present  C,  j.don  of  thl, 

ormation  of  JuTenile  DeUnSucntS?'  '  ""^  Dispensary.-Society  for  the  ref- 

I  TURN  to  that  which  forms  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
praiseworthy  features  in  the  American  character,  their  steaSy 
and  liberal  patronage  of  benevolent  institutions,  a  great  num^ 
ber  of  which  we  visited,  and  all  with  much  pleal^ire,  from 
the  excellence  of  their  management,  the  evident  utility  o? 

'^\r^:it:;''^j'''  --^  -'^^^^'^'^  -^  ^^«  ~ 

on  the  shore  of  the  East  Rivpr  Tnf«  *i.d  Z^''*^  *"'*» 
eeivPfl  nil  «<..»  u  ,     .  ^"*°  *"^^  asylum  are  re- 

IZnceLTft  ""^"^  "'  ^T^""'^  °^  '^^  ™«^»«  °f  ««t>. 
ever  A,U!  P  ?PP°'tunity  of  acquiring  them,  from  what- 
ever  cause.     Real  and  undoubted  want  in  the  oAly  qualifiea- 


94 


STATE  OF   NEW-YORK. 


twn  for  admission.  The  expenses  of  this  establishment  are 
thus  defrayed:  For  such  of  the  inmates  as  are  citizens  of 
the  City  ol  New-lork,  the  municipal  authorities  pay  a  stipu- 
lated  sum  per  head,  per  day,  out  of  the  municipal  taxes; 
lor  those  who  belong  to  particular  counties  in  the  State  of 
iNew-York,  the  financial  authorities  of  such  counties  pay  the 
sanie  rate  ;  those  that  belong  to  other  states  are,  after  a  given 
period,  transferred  to  the  almshouses  of  such  states ;  and 
ail  loreigners,  who  are  principally  emigrants,  have  their  ex- 
penses paid  by  the  General  Government  of  the  United  States 
In  general  there  are  from  three  to  four  hundred  persons  in 
this  estabhshment;  but  the  late  pressure  on  the  mercantile 
classes  having  led  to  a  great  stagnation  of  employment 
among  the  labouring  classes,  the  number  is  accordinelv 
much  augmented.  ° '' 

Another  excellent  establishment  exists  on  Long  Island, 
called  the  Dutch  Farm,  where  a  large  area  of  ground  has 
been  purchased,  and  buildings  erected  ;  and  to  which  all 
boys  taken  up  as  vagrants,  without  any  visible  means  of 
subsistence,  but  who  have  not  been  convicted  of  crime,  are 
taken  and  put  to  labour  at  various  occupations,  in  which 
they  wearly  maintain  themselves  by  their  own  industry,  and 
are,  at  the  same  time,  subjected  to  the  wholesome  discipline 
ot  mental  culture  and  moral  training,  so  that  many  of  them 
become,  m  after  life,  worthy  members  of  society,  and  al- 
mp«  all  acquire  the  power  of  maintaining  themselves  in 
Jftone;'ty  and  independence. 

A  third  is  the  House  of  Refuge,  to  which  all  youths  of 
both  sexes,  under  maturity,  who  have  been  convicted  of 
crime,  are  taken  for  .reformation.     When  we  visited  this 
es  abhshment^  we  found  there  about  two  hundred  boys  and 
falty  girls.     They  were  kept  in  separate  apartments,  each 
under  superintendents  of  their  own  sex  ;  and  what  struck  us 
as  remarkable  was,  that,  though  it  might  be  supposed  that 
the  conviction  of  crime  would  level  all  distinctions,  as  they 
were  all  convicted  criminals  alike,  yet  here  the  black  and 
coloured  children  were  made  to  sit  in  one  part  of  the  room, 
and  the  whites  in  another.     Both  were  subjected  to  a  ricrij 
discipline,  and  every  hour  of  their  time  was  fully  employed 
m  some  useful  or  improving  labour.     They  exhibited  as  we 
thought,  the  worst  collection  of  countenances  we  had  ever 
Been;  and  in  their  heads  and  faces  the  phrenologist  and 
physiognomist  would  both  have  found  abundant  proofs  of 
the  general  truth  of  their  theories,  that  the  shape  of  the  era- 
mum  and  the  expression  of  the  features  are  often  faithful 
uidexes  of  the  minds  within. 


1.UNATIC    ASYLUM. 


95 


The  Asylum  for  the  Insane  was  another  of  the  benevolent 
nst  tutions  which  we  visited  her^.     It  is  situated  at  a  beau 
jful  spot  called  Bloomingdaie,  about  seven  miles  beyond 

So.  ^nf  P  V^'  fy  "^  New. York  to  the  northwardf  the 
House  of  Refuge  bemg  only  about  two  miles  out  of  town  in 
the  same  direction.     The  founder  of  this  instituSn  was  a 

body  still  take  the  warmest  interest  in  its  superintendence 
and  direction.  It  was  in  the  company  of  a  worth7familv 
of  the  Society  of  Friends,  Mr.  Samuel  F.  Mott,  that  weTii^ 
ited  most  of  these  institutions,  and  we  spent  the  entiTe  Jiy 
with  them  at  the  Asylum  in  Bloomingdaie.  ^ 


view  i,  a.  once  ex.ensTve  and  beautiM    [hT„'t,'T°f  """ 
w  til  its  loftv  wp«'ei.„  „?iflv,      """"""" '  'ne  noble  Hudson, 

grounds  and  spacious  tljini  ^iradZe.^  'fP''-"? 
to  visit  those  who  are  afflicted  with  thi  1    "^"i^^^^^^^  ^^^y 

^¥:^^^s£^^"f  -Sid's 

.bo'Il'Jh  they  ™e  ^Sd  W.  '^CereXforfin"''"''^ 
cleanliness,  apparel  hpdr?.n„  k  i  ^-  ^°"^^°'^  ^n  space, 
flo.e,,  and,i^^dee^:  l^e^tXf ^ZriT'Ztl 


96 


8TATK   OF  NSW-TOKK. 


light  them — ^I  was  so  overcome  by  the  strength  of  my  feel- 
ings as  to  be  obliged  to  retire  for  a  period  into  a  room  alone, 
and  seek  relief  in  tears,  while  the  recollection  of  all  that  I 
heard  and  saw  made  me  dejected  for  several  days.  Mr.  Mott 
told  me  that  this  was  the  effect  produced  frequently  on  him ; 
but  that  a  sense  of  duty,  and  a  frequent  repetition  of  his  vis* 
its,  had  enabled  him  to  fortify  himself  in  some  degree  for 
the  discharge  of  his  functions  as  a  director  and  visiter^ 
though  never  without  some  pain. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  speak  too  highly  of  the  whole 
management  of  this  establishment,  as  it  respects  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  building,  the  furniture,  the  food,  the  ven- 
tilation, the  amusements  and  recreations,  and,  indeed,  all 
that  can  promote  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  inmates. 
•They  go  out  in  parties  to  take  exercise,  by  walking  or  ri- 
ding in  the  open  air  every  day,  under  the  care  of  their  re- 
spective keepers,  and  behave  with  great  propriety ;  once  a 
month  they  are  indulged  with  a  ball,  under  the  inspection  of 
the  •  superintendent ;  and  it  was  stated  that  all  parties,  but 
especially  the  females,  look  forward  to  this  monthly  ball  with 
the  most  pleasing  anticipations,  prepare  dresses  for  it  with 
great  care,  and  are  more  frequently  sobered  down  from  an 
approaching  fit  of  anger  or  violence  by  being  told  that,  if 
they  do  not  behave  well,  they  shall  not  go  to  the  ball,  than 
by  almost  any  other  means  that  have  yet  been  tried.  The 
whole  system  of  treatment  is  conducted  on  the  principle  of 
exciting  all  the  good  feelings  and  repressing  the  bad  ;  of 
substituting  the  allurement  of  hope  for  the  terror  of  fear ; 
of  making  affection  and  respect  the  leading  motives  of  ac- 
tion :  and  the  success  that  has  attended  this  mode  of  treat- 
ment justifies  its  permanent  adoption. 

There  are,  undoubtedly,  a  number  of  persons  in  the  Uni- 
ted States,  many  of  them  filling  important  and  distinguish- 
ed stations  in  life,  who  might  be  more  appropriately  placed 
as  inmates  of  this  Asylum  than  suffered  to  remain  at  large, 
and  commit  the  outrages  upon  society  of  which  they  are 
guilty.  The  American  papers  daily  teem  with  proofs  of 
this ;  but,  as  specimens  of  life  and  manners  in  the  Western 
and  Southern  States,  the  following  may  be  deemed  suffi- 
cient : 

"A  FATAL  RENCOUNTER. 

"  A  fatal  rencounter  took  place  on  the  18th  inst.  (Nov.)  at  the  Opelou- 
888  racecourse,  between  Thomas  Reeves  and  Samuel  Fisher,  the  for< 
mer  ayouns  man  of  about  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  the  latter  an 
elderly  gentleman  of  sixty. 


SANOmNART  OVTRAOfS. 


97 


hoi?!  iP^.*"  S"**  ^«®»««  came  armed  to  the  place  with  a  verv  lanra 
S.I  ♦  J!''*'"®  '"'"'''?  *°  ^''^  surrounding  epectators.    Mn  fSher  noU 
Jeat,  for  what  purpose  he  carried  such  a  deadly  instrument     EteevM?m 

Sa'JrLrtKJ;^"  '/  y°^'  «.°**  d~n%oiTwhereu^rSt: 
siamiy  drew  the  knife,  and  was  m  the  act  of  plunginir  it  intothe  bodv 

up  a  club  hat  presented  itself,  told  Reeves  that  Vhel\irotde^S  hi 

Wnrthe  BeiSm  5  "    ht  "^'^'t*^  w'*  Reeves,  and  succeeded  in  ta- 
DaSnir  the  rLV^?h«l?V*'n'?"«*i'"  '**"**  ''"*  ^^^^'elx  in  the  struggle. 

Tnte  Iho  acoTtkd  fi*^    n?Kr  *^'*^  ^  ^r«  himself  up  to  the  magis- 
^X:^^^^S:^ZJ^  *PP^*"'  fufiy  justifieaXtn 

"TWO  LIVES  SACRIFICED  IN  A  PRIVATE  QUARREL 

f  "THE  MOST  HORRIBLE  YET 

on:c'!f£n'JlKt'„1j,^i^^^^^^^ 

climax.    It  is  no  less  than  the  raurter  of  S  S  ?iif»r.  Jc*^  ^***  '"'P'  ^^ 

enaon  E.  Dix,  for  the  ™2'irmhh&^L^^  ^/  ^»P»"°  Clar- 

celhng  hammer  of  the  bank     Dir  hnH  »«.!1  -ol         j     *  *''*'*  **>«  can- 
spectlble  young  gentlemM  aS  w»!^h^?  esteemed  generally  as  a  re- 
were  of  tbeWurxSMlS^lt^^^^  ^i^t™" 
-'--"-*-"'' ^""«"^f«»,aiiuiuiiaependant  families." 
9 


w 


STATE   OF  NEW-YORK. 


The  American  editor  who  prefixed  to  this  last  paragraph 
the  words  "  The  most  Horrible  Yet,"  was  not  aware  of  what 
was  soon  to  succeed  it ;  for  in  less  than  three  weeks  after 
this  had  appeared,  an  announcement  was  made  of  the  fol- 
lowing extraordinary  and  unparalleled  atrocity.  The  Speak- 
er of  the  House  of  Assembly  in  Arkansas,  having  taken  of- 
fence  at  something  said  by  one  of  the  members  of  that  legis- 
lative  body,  instead  of  calling  him  to  order  or  appealing  to 
the  sense  of  the  house,  went  deliberately  from  his  chair  to- 
wards the  member,  and  then  drawing  a  bowie-knife,  pluni?ed 
It  mto  hi8  bosom,  and  killed  him  on  the  spot. 

For  myself,  much  as  I  had  heard  and  read  of  the  savage 
barbarities  of  the  people  of  the  West,  I  did  not  believe  tliis 
to  be  true.  The  gravity  of  a  legislative  assembly,  the  dig- 
nity  of  a  speaker  of  such  a  body,  and  the  presence  of  a  large 
number  of  colleagues,  would,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  so  operate 
as  to  render  such  a  scene  impossible.  But  a  few  days 
brought  full  confirmation  of  this  unprecedented  outrage- 
and  my  surprise  at  the  fact  itself  was  hardly  greater  than 
my  astonishment  at  the  indiiference  with  which  such  an 
atrocious  aflfair  was  passed  over  both  by  the  press  and  the 
people,  all  df  whom  seemed  too  much  engrossed  in  some 
present  affair  to  think  it  worth  their  while  to  utter  more  than 
a  passmg  word  upon  it ;  and  this,  in  many  instances,  hardly 
amounting  to  mere  than  a  very  cold  condemnation.  The 
foUowmg  IS  the  brief  manner  in  which  the  confirmation  of 
the  fact  is  given  in  the  paper  that  first  announced  the  intel- 
ligence, the  New-York  Sun  of  Dec.  29,  1837 : 

"THE  TRAGEDY  IN  ARKANSAS. 

••  We  published  on  Monday  a  short  paragraph,  statiiif  that  a  Mr  An- 
thony, a  member  of  the  Arkansas  Legislature,  had  been  kiUed  in  a  ren 
counter  with  Colonel  Wilson,  the  speaker  of  the  lower  House  It  aS- 
pears,  from  the  particulars  since  received,  that  this  murderous  outraee 
was  actually  committed  on  the  floor  of  the  House  while  in  session  •  the 
speaker,  m  consequence  of  some  offensive  remark  directed  against' him 
by  the  unfortunate  member,  having  come  down  from  his  seat  armed 
with  a  Jototc-kmfe  !  The  member,  it  is  stated,  was  also  armed  with  the 
same  weapon,  but  the  rencounter  lasted  only  for  a  moment,  the  latter 
having  been  left  dead  on  the  floor,  and  the  speaker  having  had  one  hand 
nearly  cut  off,  and  the  other  severely  injured.  Wilson  was  forthwith 
arrested  by  the  civil  authorities,  and  his  name  stricken  from  the  roll  of 
the  House  by  nearly  a  unanimous'vote." 

It  was  not  entirely  by  a  unanimous  vote,  it  would  seem 
from  this,  that  the  murderous  speaker  was  expelled  from  the 
House ;  there  were  sowe  of  the  members  who  refused  to  join 
in  this  vote,  thinking,  like  the  mob  at  Alton  who  musdered 


INSTITUTION   rOR  THB   DKAF   AND   DUMB. 


99 


Mr.  Lovejoy,  and  the  magistrates  who  acquit  murderers  so 
often  in  the  West,  that  wilful  spilling  of  blood  is  "justifia- 
ble homicide."  It  appeared  from  a  subsequent  paragraph 
that  this  speaker  had  been  released  on  a  bail  of  2000  dollars 
(about  400/.  sterling),  and  it  is  thought  that  even  this  atro- 
cious  murder  will  never  be  judicially  punished.*  Whether 
persons  of  such  ungovernable  passions  might  not  be  advan- 
tageously lodged  in  the  Bloomingdale  Asylum  rather  than 
be  permitted  to  go  at  large,  is  a  question  which  every  one 
may  easily  decide  for  themselves. 

One  of  the  mdst  pleasing  of  the  benevolent  institutions 
that  we  visited  while  in  New- York  was  the  establishment 
for  the  Instruction  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  on  the  Heerlem 
road  at  a  distance  of  about  three  miles  from  the  city. 


This  institution,  like  that  at  Bloomingdale,  is  pleasingly  and 
advantageously  situated  for  good  air,  acrreeable  scenery,  and 
facility  of  pleasurable  exercise.  It  w  r  tjsided  over  by  Mr. 
Peet,  a  gentleman  eminently  qualified  ^o/  the  office  of  super- 
intendent by  his  great  skill  in  the  art  of  teaching  mutes,  by 
his  mildness,  urbanity,  and  piety,  and  by  the  earnest  zeal 
■which  he  manifests  in  the  progress  of  his  pupils,  and  the 
general  welfare  of  the  institution.  At  the  period  of  my  first 
visit,  a  commission  appointed  by  the  State  was  engaged 
in  examining  the  pupils  previous  to  their  drawing  up  the  an- 
nual report  of  its  condition ;  and,  besides  a  great  number  of 
visiters,  the  mayor  and-aldermen  of  the  city  attended  in  their 
official  capacity.  The  appearance  of  the  pupils,  in  health, 
apparel,  and  manners,  was  highly  agreeable,  and  the  num- 

*  He  was  subsequently  acquitted. 


100 


■TATi  or   MIW-YORK. 


b«r  of  both  mxpn  woi  nonrly  aOO.     The  tnoohtri  w«rii  mi 

in  thu  mijjorlty  of  tht^m.     WUhout  witnewinir  It/one  oould 

omdd  b«  put  m,  „c«rly  on  «  ^,«r,  by  eduoMion,  with  thoM 
wo  po«,.,«  «ntir«  th«  fioultl.  <,f'ho«h.g  nnd  .pUi^ 
Among  oth.>r  pi^rioiw  who  viillmJ  thii  iiiititutioii  duK  nS 

Si„«^^«rL     I '""'  "»>-«'V"tiont,  OH  won  a.  of  the  pro- 

iTn.  H^S"  I   ^^  !'"?  r'*"""^'  ^*«  ^'y  fe»thfully  reported 

Slf  iKX. "'  't '  "•"r"'i"^  Advnrtborlof  tCo  foj. 

KJwuig  dny,  the  Sflih  of  Noviunber,  it  is  hero  trunwribtd.    • 

••VISIT  or  TIIK  »NDMN^8^TM)^TIIR^IMTITUTI0N  POR  TriB 

«.r.T*l*  '"'".*"  «'«;*«'f»»i«»n«  now  in  this  city,  MoomiMniod  bv  ih«  irnit»i 
8t»lM'  Hivnt  unci  »  oommlttM  of  tht  Common  S^^i\KJ!iA  .  „  S 

uw  a©er  luki  butnilo,  and  how  they  tkinned  the  s)Bu»ht*NMi  wn^^^ 

Aj^"S?  K A^^Jn'^wT'l^™*  •'"°"«  ^^^  •Ppe-WKi  disposed  to 

ofwir     But  «h*vrriv  .ft-^ZT^^**  ?*•*  ***  °*  dwjeived  m  that  aort 
«  wv.    «ut  shotUy  afterward,  hailing  been  conducted  to  cue  of  the 


VIIIT  or  Till   IMDUMI  TO  TMI   DBAr  AND  DUMB.  101 

Mhoolroomi,  iumI  having  Men  the  performinoe  of  a  cU««  uiul«r  tiui 

"  Aft.r^h''  •mong  ,0,1,0  tribe,  there  cm  be  no  doulit.  ^^ 

lution  ih- -i-uj"'.?"''''"  *'»^>«n  collected  in  the  chapel  of  tb«  ineti. 

!. .  jL  a  '^«>T"*'".^""  wldreiMd  by  Mr.  Pact  m  followe  : 
tlon  Kl!Zl  !l!l  ''?''P/  *°.'?  y^"  *'•"'•    Th"  obJMt  of  thin  inetitu. 

K^^iJVihl'  """"I'*  '"V.,"'  ;'*•''•  They  are  a«eembled  here  (torn  all 
ri.t  w!  T"  K^'  )^".***'  i'°*  leave  them  on  tb«  prairio  or  in  the 
wrul  in^M* '^'^  L*"""  '^^l"!""''  "'o'hlng.  We  tfach  them  to  read  an" 
rlilo  •v?..?lw-  ■''2S"'  °  °''"'"'  •V"'^  ft»n>itU7o,  and  to  bind  books  and 
wh«  .1'.  *°""' ,  ^^  ••""  '""eh  them  concerning  the  Great  Spirit 
rh-^tt"'  ".'kI*  °f  "•"'"'  '^  «'""  'hen.  every  blewing;  ao  that  Then 

t?i«rk7nd'll%fc  'r'"'"  '«,  •"•."■  ^r^'^  "'^y '^»y  know ToJ 

-^  i^k   ".T  ■"PP?rt  thomaelvoa,  und  to  be  virtuous  and  happy.    Broth- 

I  h;ve  SllS.^""  ^°"  """*•  '  ''*"'  ^"^  P«>-P«ri»y  "iff  Wplne... 
-J!  '5  '*"  ""y™"*  havinff  been  communicated  to  the  Indiana,  was  ra. 
•P^V^f  i?  ?/  "  «i^ef  oJ^  th«  I'nwnee.  la  the  following  maSi;'r7  " 
Armn  J^maJ^^'I^u  "^  ^'*.''i°  "ome  here.  When  we  aaw  theoe  chil- 
dren, we  did  not  believe  ihat  they  could  not  hear  and  apeak:  but  aince 
W4  have  aeen  you  make  aigna  to  them,  and  that  they  I5te  down  what 
you  aay,  we  believe  tliat  they  are  doa/  and  dumb  %Iy  fathe?  I  thSl 

rwhat''l''hi;;«"-.«.^''''}  l^^'^f^'^  '^^y  T"*^-  I  .13  Ji"  my^,Si 
fcl;*yo«f"gSidTampte.'^  """''°'^'  '"'''  5^°"  '"'^«  '"^''  ^^ 
t^HJ^*  «ti«n»<  fondneaa  of  these  simple  ohildren  of  nature  for  aUU 
ni"»  '^fTT'**u^?'  »»n'fe»»«d  In  a  thouaand  waya  durini  thei?  vffit 
Upon  all  beads,  chains,  and  rings  they  looked  with  eager  eves  Prom 
many  of  the  mutes  and  othen  they  received  gifts  of  tffii  vaS? 
w  thexpreasions  of  the  highest  gratfflcaUon.     *  *  '^""•' 

'The  visit  to  the  institution  haa  not  been  without  its  use  to  lh«  on. 
plls  themselves.  It  has  served  better  than  a  thousand  desciStv^  F^ 
sons  to  convey  to  them  an  adequate  idea  of  the  inhab't anS  of  ou^ 
Western  wilds.  They  have  now  clear  ideaa  of  a  portion  of  the  hum^ 
race  of  whom  they  read  and  are  told  much.  Andw  there  innSS 
that  their  unciviliMd  viaitant.  will  M  theifprJJ,  ,e  S,  remeXJ 

.».r»'A."'*Pu*f*  ^"i  ^^^  nineteenth  annual  report  of  the  institution 

thJ  sta^U  hv"l'h•S'f^*?f  ?"P""ol»  "?'°f  whoSllJarlsupiSSSby' 
the  state,  14  by  the  institution,  3  by  the  corporation  of  this  otv  9  bv 

S;  coK'Tbe'tKfatroT  ??n' '  'y^»»«  »u^^«o«  s'SuU^ 

The  exSifuS^Sn  iM?  *  ®  of  New.Jersey,  and  10  by  th«<r  friends, 
ine  expenditure  m  1837  amounted  to  87,873  dollars     Receiots  9a  rm 

and  6000  doUars  from  ditto  under  the  act  of  AprU  3,  i«34."         *^^    ' 

The  benevolent  institutions  for  the  benefit  of  seamen  are 
numerous  and  efficient ;  and  the  condition  of  the  mariners 
of  Amenca  is  far  more  honourable  to  it  as  a  maritime  na- 
tion  than  the  condition  of  the  same  classes  in  Great  Britain 
It  IS  estunated  that  there  are  in  the  United  States  about 


ItM 


STATE  or  NEW-rOBX. 


200,000  seamen,  of  vrhom  there  are  50,000  in  the  foreign, 
and  50,000  in  the  coasting-trade  and  fisheries,  and  about 
100,000  in  the  ships  of  war  in  commission  at  home  and 
abroi>.d;  in  addition  to  which,  there  are  at  least  50,000 
more  employed  in  navigating  the  large  rivers  and  lakes  of 
the  interior  of  the  country.  For  these  the  following  in- 
stitutions provide  the  comforts  and  advantages  attached  to 
each  respectively. 

I  The  Quarantine  Hospital  is  established  in  a  healthy  and 
agreeable  situation  at  Staten  Island.  It  is  an  institution  of 
the  United  States,  and,  as  such,  is  under  the  control  of  the 
General  Government.  It  is  supported  by  a  tax  of  20  cents, 
Or  about  tenpence  EngHsh,  per  month  on  the  wages  of  sea- 
men, which  sum  is  paid  by  the  captain  of  each  ship  that 
enters  at  the  Custom-house,  and  dedrcted  from  the  seaman's 
wages  in  his  settlement.  To  this  hospital  every  seaman 
who  has  ever  paid  the  hospital  money  at  any  period  of  his 
life,  has  a  right  of  admission,  to  remain  there  as  long  as 
may  be  necessary  for  his  complete  recovery.  During  all 
the  tune  of  his  stay  here  he  is  fed  and  lodged  comfortably, 
as  well  as  provided  with  medical  attendanice,  all  without 
charge. 

The  Seaman's  Retreat  is  also  situated  at  Staten  Island. 
This  belongs  to  the  local  government  of  the  State  of  New- 
York,  by  whom  it  was  founded,  and  it  is  supported  by  a  State 
tax  of  one  dollar  per  voyage,  long  cr  short,  from  every  for- 
eign port,  to  which  ships  entering  ports  in  the  State  of  New- 
York  are  subject.  Masters  of  ships  pay  a  dollar  and  a  half, 
mates  and  seamen  a  dollar  each,  and  all  persons  performing 
trips  coastwise  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  per  voyage.  This  is 
collected  at  the  Custom-house  like  the  former,  and  is  ap- 
plied, in  a  similar  manner,  to  the  mdntenance  of  this  State 
asylum,  in  aid  of  that  of  the  General  Government,  which, 
but  for  this  auxiliary,  would  be  insufficient  to  receive  all  the 
applicants :  the  treatment  here  is  most  liberal,  and  the  care 
and  attention  to  the  inmates  deserving  all  praise. 

The  Sailors'  Snug  Harbour  is  also  on  Staten  Island. 
This  was  first  established  by  a  munificent  bequest  of  Mr. 
Bandall.  It  is  intended  for  the  permanent  accommodation, 
for  life,  of  a  limited  number  of  superannuated  and  worn- 
out  seamen  :  and  from  the  interest  taken  in  this  institution 
by  the  leading  friends  of  the  seamen  here,  and  the  judicious 
management  of  the  property  from  which  its  funds  are  de- 
rived, it  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  efficient  of  all  the  mar- 
itime establishments  of  the  countryt 


ASYLUM  FOR  THB  BLIND. 


109 


The  American  Seaman's  Friend  Society  has  for  its  creat 
object  the  maintaining  chaplains  for  American  seamen  in 
ioreign  ports.    It  was  first  organized  in  1826,  and  has  for 
nearly  the  whole  of  that  time  supported  chaplains  in  fif- 
teen foreign  ports.    This  society  publishes  at  New- York  the 
Sailor's  Magazine,  and  fmnishes  vessels  with  libraries  for 
the  use  of  seamen.     It  has  been  particularly  instrumental  in 
formmg  the  -'Sailors'  Homes,"  a  name  given  to  the  sober 
and  orderly  boarding-houses  established,  under  the  care  of 
the  society,  to  rescue  the  seaman  from  the  grasp  of  the 
harpies  who  usually  surround  him  on  his  landing,  and  never 
qmt  hini  tUl  they  have  plundered  him  of  aU  he  possesses. 
These  Homes  have  happily  increased  in  all  the  principal 
ports,    especially   in   Boston,   PorUand,   Ne^y.York,   and 
Charleston  ;  and  lists  of  them,  for  the  saUor's  guidance,  are 
published  monthly  on  the  cover  of  the  Sailor's  Magazine. 

The  Seaman's  Savings'  Bank  is  another  cellent  iustitu. 
tion,  m  which,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  American 
Seaman's  Friend  Society,  many  mariners  are  induced  to 
deposite  a  good  portion  of  their  hard-earned  wages  so  as  to 
save  It  from  dissipation ;  and  the  best  effects  have  already 
been  produced  by  this  and  kindred  institutions  in  the  other 
ports  of  the  United  States. 

In  addition  to  all  these,  there  are  several  religious  associa- 
tions, which  confine  their  labours  to  the  class  of  seamen 
only ;  such  as  the  N-w-York  Port  Society,  to  sustain  the 
Manner's  Church  ;  the  Bethel  Union,  for  promoting  prayers 
and  Divme  service  on  board  ships  lying  in  the  harbour  and 
at  the  wharves  ;  and  the  Marine  Bible  Society,  for  the  supply 
of  the  Scriptures  to  such  seamen  as  may  be  ready  and  will- 
mg  to  receive,  and  are  able  and  disposed  to  read  them 

One  of  theinost  interesting  of  the  benevolent  institutions 
of  New-York  is  the  Asylum  for  the  Blind.  This  is  agreea- 
bly  situated  at  a  short  distance  from  New-York,  at  a  place 
called  Bellevue,  overlooking  the  Hudson  River  and  the  Jer- 
sey  shore,  where  a  suitable  building,  with  all  the  requisite 
auxiliaries  for  the  purposes  of  the  institution,  has  been 
erected  on  ground  worth  10,000  dollars,  which  was  Uberallv 

^7^  V^^  P"S?.°^®  ^y  ^"^^  J«"»«s  Boorman,  a  merchant 
oi  IM  ew-  York.  The  society  was  first  organized  in  1831,  and 
owes  Its  origin  to  Dr.  Samuel  Ackerly,  a  benevolent  physi- 
cian,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Wood,  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
jtriends,  who  were  afterward  joined  by  Dr.  John  Russ. 
ihese  gentlemen  presented  a  petition  to  the  Legislature  of 


the  state.  Dravini?  for  tho 


104 


STATE  OF  MEW-YOBK. 


was  granted  ;  and  in  March,  1832,  the  institution  was  first 
opened,  with  three  blind  children  from  the  almshoase  of 
New- York,  who  had  lost  their  sight  by  ophthalmia,  to  which 
three  others  were  added  in  May  of  the  same  year ;  and  with 
these  six  the  school  of  instruction  first  began.  In  1833  the 
directors  were  engaged  in  obtaining  from  Europe  all  the  in- 
formation they  could  collect  respecting  the  best  method  of 
teaching  the  blind,  and  in  1838  they  had  so  far  succeeded  as 
to  be  able  to  hold  a  public  exhibition  of  the  proficiency  of  the 
pupils  in  various  branches  of  manual  labour,  as  well  as  of 
mental  exercise,  in  both  of  which  there  were  performers 
scarcely  inferior  to  those  of  youth  of  the  same  age  possess- 
ing sight.  In  1834  the  number  of  pupils  had  increased  to 
26 ;  in  1835  there  were  41 ;  in  1836  there  were  58 ;  and 
in  1837  there  were  60  ;  the  increased  nimibers  being  occa- 
sioned by  the  increased  means  of  the  institution  to  provide 
for  their  support  and  instruction,  though  still  forming  a  very 
small  proportion  of  the  whole  number  of  blind  in  the  State 
of  New- York,  which  had  been  ascertained,  by  the  census  of 
1830,  to  be  more  than  800  persons. 

The  funds  by  which  this  institution  is  supported  are  con- 
tributed partly  by  voluntary  contributions  and  partly  by  the 
state,  according  to  a  usage  very  common  in  America,  and 
well  worthy  of  imitation  in  other  countries,  namely,  that 
whenever  private  individuals  raise  by  voluntary  contribution 
a  sum  for  any  given  benevolent  purpose,  the  state  contributes 
an  equal  or  sometimes  a  larger  sum ;  in  return  for  which,  it 
enjoys  a  share  of  the  superintendence,  and  the  power  of  pla- 
cing claimants  who  are  destitute  of  other  patronage  within 
the  reach  of  its  benefits.  Where  individuals  contribute  the 
whole  support  to  such  institutions,  it  is  generally  found 
that  they  languish  for  want  of  funds ;  and  where  the  state 
contributes  the  whole,  it  is  as  generally  found  that  they  de- 
cline for  want  of  due  vigilance  in  the  superintendence.  But 
both  of  these  evils  are  avoided  by  this  joint  contribution  of 
means,  and  joint  interest  and  responsibility,  and  the  practi- 
cal working  of  the  g;  stem  shows  its  decided  superiority  to 
every  other.  In  the  instance  of  the  Institution  for  the  Blind, 
the  state  agreed  that,  so  soon  as  8000  dollars  were  raised  by 
voluntary  contributions  and  placed  in  a  given  bank,  the 
public  funds  should  furnish  12,000  dollars,  to  make  the  cap- 
ital of  the  institution  20,000  ;  and  the  interest  of  this,  with 
the  annual  subscriptions,  legacies,  donations,  collections  at 
public  meetings,  exhibitions  of  manufactures,. and  concerts 
of  music  held  by  the  blind  pupils  at  stated  periods  of  the 


INSTawCTK)i>*   tir  TM  BUM). 


105 


yew,  furnish  ample  funds  for  the  support  of  the  inatiintmn 

The'tSi'^"f\r'^,"^  ^^  acco£^odaty„  fo?pupr"f 
thl  •  "*  ?^  *^''  P"P^  ^  divided  into  three  pit?  a„d 
their  instruction  is  arranged  and  orimnized  intn  thJfL  i^ 
partments:  intellectual,  mechaiScalTS^d  musi^d    %Zt' 

c'e^rofS  ?rt?r"''vf  "r^^^^  of  auTeternlf^ct 

tw^to  the  i     •     '""'  ^"'^^"^  ^*^^°^'  h«  gi^««  daUy  lec^ 
lures  to  the  pupils  on  various  subjects  of  knowledai  on.i 

^i.  instruction  of  a  class.  ^ 

in  rea'di^^''lrv"^^"^y  ^'P'"^^  ^^^^°«  «  ^^y  for  instructioii 
Sstorv  %p!J-l'"»?  ^*™""':!  geography,  'arithmetic,  and 
a  book  wifh  K^  13  accomplished  by  feeling  the  pages  of 
f.  rZi    ^  embossed  or  raised  letteis.     Perfection  in  this 

?y  otS  Thndln\""'  ''  *'^  '""^'  ^^  with  SXcuIty 
the  eTemitv  nf  r  ^^''^^*^'  sensibUity  of  feeling  ii 

whn!rJ.t  ?^u^  ^^'f  ^"^^'^  *'»«'«  grown  persons ;  and  those 
Wumed     Ev.rtH  J^^^^^^V  wo?k  hare  'this  feeb^ 

as  to  InoKi  !u  ^°'^  "^^^'^  sensibility  of  touch  is  so  great 
the  bH^S  t  '^^V^  '^^^  ""''^  facility  the  books  pri^ef  for 
when  hf'fi  """  *"''  'T/^*y  P^'^y  abated  or  destroyed 
wueh  wfth  r'h  *'"  ?°*^'  1"*^'  ^«*  ^i*^  perspiratio^or 
tKuJlM  H^ ^^'""^  employments.  Hence  iris  that  aU 
the  pupils  do  not  engage  in  this  exercise,  and  that  the  best 
class  of  readers  is  composed  of  youujf  femaleT  Iml  !5  i 
chUdren  not  engaged  in  the  worksSo^         '"'  ^""^  ^^  '"^^ 

Writing  IS  best  performed  with  a  pencil  as  a  W,nJ  « 
8on  cannot  see  to  the  perfection  of  the^^en  or  L  fW  ^^^^^^^ 
mk,  and  its  regular  supply ;  and  when  the  pen  is  rateeS  th« 

acquire  a  pS  "knoJjTT"'  """*  '"'™""'  '""^  "-^y 
geography  a,a  also  conveyed  by-orari;.;;i,„otio:,  b«?t^ 


ro6 


•TATI   OF  KBW-TOllK. 


and  globes  with  raised  lines,  grooves,  prominences,  points, 
&o.,  have  been  prepared  for  tiie  blind,  and  the  pupils  ard 
exercised  upon  them  by  feeling  out  rivers,  kes,  mountains, 
coasts,  bays,  towns,  and  other  things  thereon  delineated. 
A  knowledge  of  history  depends  altogether  upon  the  tena* 
city  of  the  memory  in  retaining  what  the  teachers  read  to 
them. 

Arithmetic  is  acquired  both  mentally  and  mechanically. 
Several  have  a  remarkable  capacity  for  this  science,  and  in 
them  the  organ  of  numbers  is  largely  developed ;  hence  they 
find  no  difficulty  in  calculating,  mentally,  problems  in  arith- 
metic involving  many  figures. 

1  Music  is  ako  cultivated,  both  vocal  and  instrumental; 
and  considerable  proficiency  has  been  attained  in  both  by 
the  pupils,  so  that  public  concerts  are  occasionally  given  by 
them  for  the  benefit  of  the  institution,  at  which  none  but  the 
pupils  perform,  and  this  they  do  with  great  credit  to  them- 
selves. 

Many  are  thus  taught,  beyond  mere  literary  attainments, 
the  knowledge  of  some  useful  art,  by  the  practice  of  which 
they  can  maintain  themselves  independently  when  they 
leave  the  institution ;  and  the  only  matter  of  regret  is,  that 
such  asylums  are  not  sufficiently  numerous  in  all  countries 
to  secure  to  every  person  afflicted  with  blindness  the  enjoy- 
ment and  independence  which  study  and  the  pursuit  of  some 
useful  occupation  are  certain  to  seciure,  and  which  might  be 
thus  easily  brought  within  the  reach  of  all. 

There  is  an  Asylum  for  Lying-in  Women,  which  affords 
relief  to  poor  but  respectable  females  whose  marriages  are 
eapable  of  proof,  and  whose  characters  are  good.  Some  of 
thcje  are  taken  to  the  asylum  and  attended  there,  and  oth- 
ers receive  medical  aid  and  other  assistance  at  their  own 
homes.  It  is  superintended  chiefly  by  benevolent  ladies, 
and  conducted  by  a  matron  with  proper  assistants ;  and  du- 
ring the  fourteen  years  of  its  existence,  964  of  the  applicants 
to  it  have  been  safely  and  effectually  relieved,  whUe  only 
eight  deaths  have  occurred  in  the  whole  period.  It  is  sup- 
ported entirely  by  Voluntary  subscription,  and  is  the  only 
similar  institution  in  the  city.  ^ 

A  Dispensary  also  exists,  for  supplying  medical  advice  as 

well  as  medicine  gratuitously  to  the  poor,  which. is  support- 

•  ed  by  voluntary  contributions.     It  has  subsisted  for  forty- 

'  six  years,  and  during  that  period  17,544  persons  have  been 

relieved  through  its  instrumentality,  at  the  moderate  cost  of 

about  3000  dollars  for  the  whole  period. 


REFORMATION  OF  mENlM   MtlNQUENTS.  lOt 

linquents.     This  insthuS,  wafiSS  f  "^^ ""«  ^«- 
of  taking  charge  of  ihc  "outhfi.?n,1^^    .     '*/'*'"  *^®  P"^«» 
up  by  the  poUce   n  the' sfreete  JTll^t  ^""^  "^^^^^^^  ^^^-^ 
oSringto  eSect  these  Xer!!!Lf"K-^'S^^^iy«'  ^"^  ende^v- 
their  bad  habhs  ^r^vlLTenT  a^^'"' S^'^ 
a  religious  character ,-  Sf  of Ivin^T™'  '"^'  ^^  P°^/^^^' 
quirements  by  education  •  nnA  ^l^S^  ^™  ^°"^  ™«»tal  ac 
honest  trade  or  cSgTby  wWc^         ''^f^^  *^^"^  ««°^« 
sistence.     It  has  beenin  onpl.S?  /^^  ™',^^*  °**^«^  ^  «"»>- 
hitherto  produced  the  restSts"  '  ^'"''  *"^  '^ 

14i^tS"of^l3l9^^^?r,^  *'^'  ^°«^^^"*^«"  ^«  «t  present 
apaitmente  S  exercild  iTdir^'."'  ^"«^^  ^  d^«'«« 
ing,  and  each  i^  attendSl  b^  ?f  T"* '"?  **"^  ""^  *^«  '>"ild. 
The  coloured  are  alLtpar^'teTi^Jrth:^^^^^^  °"/^- 

for^even  among  criminal^  this  distinTtt  ^^'^^^ij; 

supTrLsuTtoivtrihr  ^i-t  *^-^-  -<* 

had  in  producing  th^  criaJr^^tTthl^te^"^^^^^^ 
sons  were  the  victims,  some  of  them  n^  J^  'L*'""^  P^^^ 
or  eight  years  of  age  3  «nl  »!    not  more  than  se^en 

and  tlis  ^as  so  strof^ly  t^s^t^'thf  ^^^^^^  /!? ^^" » 
rectors  of  the  institution  thK^ho^  .^  """^  **^  *«  <*i- 
1837,  they  advert  tol^i  tVSliwi^Vtr  :"*'  '^"*  ^' 

commence  with  that  KiSd/d^oS^w' "^^  *«'^«' ^  "«««!.  £ 
the  general  demand  for  CreraMd  mpoK  ®''  'o^raperaBce !  Sucff  is 
toe88,and  so  remuneratSraS  ?h?t?l??''^u^''V^^«'y.'''^chofbu8i, 
trious,  that  there  would  seem  to  hp  i^f  r.l?  '^  "*'^a»'«^  ^y  the  indua- 
sioned  by  want,  as  a  person  haro5lvfnH*"'\^  *°  «"««  <><««. 

tain  the  means'of  suK  Sat  LmiifV^''"/  "^  pdustrious  to  ob- 
and  reverenced  by  thSands  of  tL  iS  ^^  and  religion  are  practised 

to  every  person  o?  observSn  that  su^h  ""^i??^?^  ''  *  ^'^^  ^'^^'^ 
extensively  in  everv  class  nnh„!r,f  ^H?^""■!9•'"  H^^^  case  much  more 
can  be  done  by  others  irR^mJ?^''*^^  will  deay:  what  is  done  by  some 
failing  8uppl7ofa?SSt^S\?HT"%^^^^^  ^•"*'^««-'  thewJS! 
within  the  cLpass  of  ePeTmal  W«^^^^^      T\^  '5  »»'*"«  t^e^ 

trrsjthrnisr'-^ts^S^ 

^1n  S=t^™SSS^^^^ 
E;»es  a  similM  or  even  .  mo™  ".S°?i.™'«™'  "  nay  be,  eier- 


108 


8TATB  OF  NKW-TOIX. 


dnced  to  the  lowest  grade  of  human  misery.  Although,  in  most  eaaei. 
we  are  ready  to  believe  that  the  unfortunate  wife  will  stem  the  torrent 
tf  affliction  without  contamination,  and  preserve  her  tender  babes  from 
the  moral  Mllution  which  surrounds  them,  yet,  alas !  it  sometimes  haiv 
pens  that  she  too  becomes  the  victim,  corrupted  by  her  husband's  ex- 
ample,  vid,  as  a  necess&ry  consequence,  the  poor  children,  until  then 
innpcent,  are  forced  into  the  paths  of  vice  by  their  unnatural  parents! 
This  is  no  fancy  sketch ;'  it  is  an  every-day  truth ;  and  the  recoris  of 
the  House  of  Refiige  most  distinctly  prove  that  by  far  the  greater  num. 
ber  of  Its  inmates  have  been  brought  to  their  unfortunate  condition  bv 
the  intemperance  of  a  father  or  a  mother,  or  both. 

"The  book  which  contains  the  histories  of  the  children  who  have 
been  admitted  into  the  honse  is  a  most  instructive  one  to  read,  and 
should  not  be  beneath  the  notice  of  a  legislator.  Its  pages  may  almost 
be  called  a  'succinct  account  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  intemperance.» 
The  pbilanthropist  who  peruses  its  simple  and  unpretending  details,  will 
exclaim  when  he  finishes  it, '  Could  we  but  abolish  drunkenness,  whore 
would  we  find  candidates  for  admission  into  our  prisons  V 

^' If  the  effects  of  this  dreadful  plague  be  such  as  we  describe  (and 
Who  can  call  our  statement  into  question  n,  is  it  not  an  act  of  duty  on 
the  part  of  the  eonttituted  authoritiea,  to  whom  power  is  given  for  the 
beneiit  of  the  whole  community,  to  do  aU  they  can  to  lessen,  if  thev 
cannot  eradicate,  this  vice «  '        ^ 

"There  is  another  evil,  of  serious  magnitude  in  this  city,  which  w« 
think  requires  correction :  we  aUude  to  those  petty  pawnbrokers'  shops 
Which  are  to  be  found  in  many  of  our  most  public  streets. 
-^^*The  facility  with  which  money  can  be  obtained  on  arty  article. 
tettiteSow'to'tteft'  °^  ^®**  ^'  little  value,  holds  out  strong 

.♦nil.P*T"u^^*"'i*'V  ''°"'?  °°*  knowingly  receive  stolen  goods,  is 
hoi  «27  ^*^^  *°  ^  imposed  upon,  while  one  of  a  different  character 
ftas  nowerous  ways  of  encouraging  thieves  to  continue  their  evil  prac 
Sm  thaJw"^"*/?  *^«t"Med  cireumstances  who  are  ashamed  to  her: 
Zihi^i'l^  ^  whatever  sum,  be  it  ever  so  smaU.  they  can  obtS 
..liof^w*"*'^®,' *.!•»*??'  «"<*  ^"'""•t  ^  the  loss  of  interest,  or  to  the 

SS  wiU^l^°^''  'i  *^y  *'\""°*  •"  *'°»«  '«•*««"»  them.  Those  whS 
steal  wUl  also  take  whatever  they  can  get  advanced  as  a  loan  becausa 

*kL  5!^  f  J  ^d  J'awn  It  for  ten  cents.  Find  ng  the  ease  with  which 
ite  E'^  '"^  °^t?'?ing  ""oney.  <>««  P^tty  thelTfollows  imotherrS 
f  "^TheTlTol,^^'*-^"  ^^^"  depredations,  and  rob  on  a  l^ger  'scale 
^ri^FnnZrliT""^  1°°  W°  Jhe  poor  can  certainly  be  improved 
SS  VhSSV^*  more  loudly  for  legislative  interference.  We  have 
eoSimSri  bv  Z**  '°'"'^'"  companies  for  the  benefit  of  Z 
fnSKn1fof&,  ♦  ^v"?^*?'  accommodation  and  security  can  be 
wS  for  ^L^lltT"  *5  the  upper  and  middle  classes  of  society, 
AoJ  .« 1  ?®  P®**'  and  needy  little  provision  has  been  made,  so  thS 
SS."     "^  ^"^^  *°  *^  "^  °^  '^°^«  ^^°  t^«  advantage  of  their  ne. 

I  have  given  these  passages  of  the  report  in  the  hope  that 
they  will  meet  the  eyes  of  some  of  our  British  legislators  and 
phi  anthropists,  havmg  been  myself  for  years  pait  convinced 
that  pi-bhc  houses  for  drinking,  and  pawnbrokers'  shops  for 
lendmg,  are  two  of  the  greatest  curses  that  afflict  our  coun- 
try ;  and  that  the  enture  extirpation  of  both  would  be  the 
greatest  blessing  tliat  could  be  conferred  upon  our  land 


MVlTr  0»  THB  niKss. 


109 


CHAPTER  IX. 

UiMe  Causes  on  the  general  CoDdSVCi^.T""S  J^'nb.mw.meDt.-.EScti  rf 
mv•r«ryofEv.c«.UoM,^^De«:ription%1s■Ca'^^^^^^ 

of  misery  and  crime  17  LTu  f-^  ^.  ^*'"  *  ^"8«  «m«"«t 
and  of  inimpera^e  In  Lt^^^^^^^^  ™««*  .««>iect  state, 

city.     A  very  painful  part  of  thifn^-^  forms,  existing  in  that 
and  even  levity,  wUhwhiohth-/l^^^^  "^-'^^  indi&rence, 

their  pernicious  ex'mpfe  lof closdy  ^^^^^^^^^  ^^<^ 

18  such  as  to  take  away  all  dismist  at  ih«  •  ^'^  respect 
and  destroy  all  svmDaihv  fnl^l  I  ^  "™^^  committed, 
ded  a  laugh  can  be  exZ  A  ^  ""^^^^^  '^'*'*^™'-  ^'^^i* 
which  the  personages^^^^^^^         Iff  ""^  ^^  *^«  ^»di«'«"«  ^iti» 

ject  of  the?epor"er^apZrfto^^^^  ""a  ^^'^*"^'  ^'^^  °^- 

of  the  paper  £  therebvfnnl     ^  ^"'^^^ed;  and  if  Ae  sale 

alsoprLoted  bm  thrho/S''^  r  '  S^J"'*'  "^  »^«  *''*i*«r  are 
crime,  aXf  sympa  hv^oT^  ''^""l  °f  i"dig"»ti«n  against 
daily  and  hournS?  Ta"" '"^^""&' ^«  ^y *^''«  ^^ana 
ples^of  this  two  ^^^^^^  ,  I^ffer  as  exam, 

that  fell  »«j       F"'«srapns  out  oi  fatty  similar  ones,  at  lpn«t 
that  fell  mider  my  eye  during  my  stay  in  this  city  ' 

«Th«  r  "WELL  FILLED, 

occasion  to  vS a  lout,  in  r™'"*  T".^  'J**  ««"«  Police-ofBcers  had. 

upon  such  a  family."      ^"''°^"'  exclusive  of  the  Im-stock  attendant 

AdTtrtis^erTn^D?'-'^^^'^  ^'%^"^^"  ^'°"»  *h«  Comm...i., 
Aavertiser  m  De  .xnuer,  one  of  the  leading  Whig  daily  pil 


no 


8TATB   or   KBW-TORK. 


pers,  was  copied  into  nearly  all  the  others,  with  the  heading 
of  "  Well  Filled"  preserved  in  each  ;  and  in  no  instance  did 
I  perceive  added  to  it  the  slightest  expression  of  regret  that 
this  opulent  city  should  contain  within  its  bosom  such  a  num> 
ber  of  unhappy  beings  huddled  together  in  so  confined  a 
space,  while  hundreds  were  living  in  palaces,  and  could  feed, 
by  the  surplus  of  their  daily  tables,  the  wretched  inmates  of 
these  crowded  dwellings.  The  terms  "well  filled"  and 
•'  live-stock"  were  the  party  of  the  paragraph  that  excited  a 
laugh,  while  the  amount  of  suffering  indicated  by  the  ex- 
cessive numbers  and  limited  space  were  passed  over  with- 
out comment  or  observation.  The  following  is  just  as  heart- 
less in  its  way.     It  is  taken  from  the  New- York  Daily  Whig : 

"  A  HUSKING  FROLIC  IN  KENTUCKY. 

"  A  fight  came  off  at  Maysville,  Kentucky,  on  the  20th,  in  which  a  Mr. 
Coulster  was  stabbed  in  the  side,  and  is  dead;  a  Mr.  Gibson  was  well 
hacked  with  a  knife  ;  a  Mr.  Farrs  was  dangerously  wounded  in  the  head, 
and  another  of  the  same  name  in  the  hip ;  a  Mr.  Shoemaker  was  se- 
verely beaten,  and  several  others  sev  ously  hurt  in  various  ways.  TTiis 
entertainment  was  the  winding-up  of  a  com  husking  frolic,  when  all,  doubt> 
less,  were  right  merry  with  good  whiskey.*' 

What  must  be  the  indifference  to  human  life,  the  contempt 
of  morals,  and  the  indulgent  estimate  of  drunkenness,  in  the 
mind  of  the  editor  who  could  pen  such  a  paragraph  as  thia 
(for  this  and  its  predecessor  were  printed  in  large  open  type, 
like  the  leading  articles  of  the  respective  papers),  may  be 
easily  inferred.  How  then  is  it  possible,  while  such  heart- 
less and  unfeeling  guides  and  teachers  regulate  the  public 
taste,  and  supply  the  public  appetite  with  mental  food,  that 
the  community  should  not  have  their  taste  corrupted,  their 
moral  perceptions  deadened,  and  their  horror  of  crime  frit- 
tered aWay  to  indifference  ?  Thus  it  is  that  announcements 
of  the  mo^t  revolting  description  are  made  with  a  coolness 
and  nonchalance  which  is  almost  incredible.  In  the  New- 
York  Transcript  of  January  14,  1838^  the  editor  of  which 
professes  to  be  a  leligious  man,  the  following  astounding  as- 
sertion IS  made,  without  note  or  comment ;  and  whether  the 
statement  be  true  or  false  (and,  for  the  reputation  of  the  city 
named,  I  would  hope  for  the  latter),  yet  the  heartlessness  of 
the  editor  who  could  make  such  a  statement  without  ex- 
pfessing  the  slightest  mark  of  surprise  or  disapprobation,  is 
the  same.     It  is  as  follows : 

"The  business  of  supplying  brothel-keepers  with  unsuspecting  vic- 
^s  has  been  adopted  by  the  Boston  inteUigence-office  keepers  in 


ABVBM  or   THl   PRESS. 


Ill 


The  demoralizing  effect  which  th«  Aui}»^         i    <. 
paragraphs  as  thes!  must  Sc^  on  th?^.^^'"*^  ""^  '"*''» 
M  impossible  to  be  calculated  Zm  it-  f?*  generation, 
with  scenes  of  vice  oTwWcithev  would  ^T  '"'"'!:«  '^'"^ 
mained  ignorant  •  hut  Zu  ?       ^^  otherwise  have  re- 

wretched^The  Buh l^f onls't  «7  ''.'•"*?^'"^  ^"™«  «"d 
understanding  bTcoSun^^rl""*"^^^  ^y^'^i^'*  the 
the  heart  rendered  riLt^^^^^^^ 

whlfhTarr  "oS  sti^ardniL?«'  •^^---' 

public  appetite  for  slander  and  obscS  Vauf  T^  '"  ^'^^ 
be  he  d  up  to  public  reprobation  by  Se  1X^1^1^ 
Morning  fierald;  it  is  bitten  and  pShed  hv  it?^"*  *^^ 

Its  practice  is  to  emplJ^^tto  c^Uectln':^^^^^^ 
scandal  of  the  town  relatin^To  n.?vo?   /        *^^  S°^'P  «"d 
uals,  and  upon  a^i^n  oi  two  of Tuth  rh'''  '"^  ^"**^"^^- 
structure  of  falsehood?  andThen  in  erl  Jh  tv^^  ""V  '"P"" 
sions  or  aUusions  of  the  orn-,!?  ^"^^'^ard  this  with  expres- 

for  the  gratifirioro^%rrratT"feira?eT'  ^^^°'*^ 
ties,  balls,  and  social  meetinTaTe  ^ete^S  to  ^''-P"- 
ed  in  its  pages,  some  of  th^m  Ko!  •    P'^®*®"°®a  to  be  report- 

exemption  from  the  attacks  nf  hio  »i  j  ^  "^  °^  securing 
tise  largely  inThe  Lner  and  nnl  '^^"^«'°"«  P«n  «  to  adver- 
to  send^h^eXr*^pfesentfin^L^^^^^  extravagant  prices,  or 
Several  individual  have  had  let^^^^^^^  direct  bribes, 

from  the  office  of  this  oanpr  Jt-  *u  "^"^"^^^^^^  *"  t*^em 
were  in  their  po^essii„wS  th^'"^  **?!'  communications 
print,  but  thatT  o„"of  I'^^vemiW  7"'^  *^  "^  ^'^ 
would  be  to  Davthe  nmon/t  «  u?  u  u  ?^,"^  *h®''  appearance 

have  resisted  it.     The  fnllni»,„~    •    1""*"'  "hongh  others 
myself  with  this  Daoer  •   O?  i'  '""='^}^«<X'  oocurred  to 

gentleman  whom  Had"  k?"w7i„X^  "i  "r-Y""''  » 
low  his  olerk  to  lr»n.l,  f  England  offered  to  al. 

1  very  gladly'"a?a^efmyseTfT,S  '  JC'lTth''  I't''' 
itinsertedinaU^^ro^fLSrotr-^TX'"^^:! 


112 


STATl   or  NIW-TORK. 


generally  the  charge  varied  between  one  and  two  dollars, 
but  never  exceeded  the  latter,  for  one  insertion.     At  the  of- 
fice  of  the  Morning  Herald  ten  dollars  were  demanded  ;  the 
great  disproportion  of  the  charge  induced  the  clerk  to  de- 
cline leaving  it  there  till  he  had  consulted  his  employer ; 
and,  accordingly,  the  excessive  charge  demanded  was  com- 
municated to  me.     Being  then  fsntirely  ignorant  oi  the  char- 
acters of  any  of  the  papers,  as  I  had  been  in  the  country 
but  a  few  days,  I  asked  whether  there  was  anything  in  the 
great  circulation  or  high  reputation  of  the  Morning  Herald 
that  could  warrant  its  asking  ten  dollars  for  what  other  papers 
charged  but  two ;  and  the  answer  was  "  No:  on  the  contra- 
ry, the  paper  has  the  worst  reputation  of  any  journal  in  the 
city;  its  circulation  is  confined  to  the  lovers  of  scandal  rath- 
er than  of  news  ;  and  the  editor  is  considered  as  a  man  of 
the  most  abandoned  and  unprincipled  character."     But,  it 
was  added,  this  is  his  method  of  asking  and  obtaining  "  hush- 
money  ;"  and  I  was  strongly  recommended  to  pay  it,  as  the 
only  method  of  escaping  from  his  lash.     My  reply  was, 
"  Never :   I  would  rather  submit  to  any  amount  of  vitu- 
peration that  his  press  could  pour  forth  against  me,  than 
purchase  his  silence  by  this  degrading  and  demorahzing  pay- 
ment of  hush-money.     I  will  neither  advertise  in  his  paper, 
nor  read  it,  while  I  remain  in  the  city."     I  was  told  what 
would  happen ;  that  I  should  be  abused  daily ;    and  this 
was  really  the  fact,  as  I  learned  from  others ;  for  I  was  true 
to  my  promise  of  never  seeing  it  myself.     I  was  told,  also, 
that  I  should  repent  the  course  I  had  taken  ;  but  this  predic- 
tion  was  not  fulfilled.     Mr.  Bennett  was  tired  of  his  task, 
as  far  as  I  was  the  subject  of  his  abuse,  in  a  very  short  time, 
and  soon  gave  it  up ;  and  if  this  course  of  neither  paying 
for  suppression  nor  reading  his  vituperations  were  more 
generally  followed  by  the  community,  it  would  extinguish 
his  paper  m  a  very  short  period.     Others  have  followed  a 
diflerent  method,  but  with  a  less  favourable  issue.     By  some 
Mr.  Bennett  has  been  publicly  horsewhipped  in  the  street; 
by  others  he  has  been  prosecuted  at  law ;  but  the  result  of 
both  these  modes  of  treatment  has  been  to  give  himself  and 
his  paper  greater  notoriety  than  before,  and  to  promote 
rather  than  retard  the  farther  extension  of  the  mischief. 

Another  instance  of  the  habit  of  treating  with  levity  in- 
cidents  which  in  any  other  country  would  excite  feelings 
of  indignation  and  horror,  may  be  given.  It  had  been  dis- 
covered  that  of  late  it  was  a  common  practice  in  New- 
York  to  ship  off  the  bodies  of  dead  negroes,  male  and  fe- 


EFFBCTI   OF   THB  SPBCULATION  MANIA.  118 

male,  for  various  ports,  but  especially  the  South,  to  the  med- 
ical  students,  for  dissection ;  and,  to  elude  suspicion,  these 
dead  bodies  were  put  up  in  salt  and  brine,  and  packed  in 
the  same  kinds  of  casks  as  those  in  which  salted  provisions 
are  exported  from  hence.  A  third  or  fourth  discovery  of 
this  description  was  made  during  the  month  of  January; 
and  the  following  is  the  manner  in  which  it  is  headed  and 
described  m  the  papers  of  the  day : 

"MORE  PORK  FOR  THE  SOUTH.  ' 

"  Yesterday  morning  it  was  discovered  that  a  barrel,  which  had  bAM 

Ev  No  SsVoth  ^f  ^'^^  ''^''l'*""  P"''''^*  line-.tore  oT  Geirge  Buck" 
ley,  NO.  88  South-street— for  the  purpose  of  beinir  shinoed  to  Charii^f.. 

weV«°et':S**to^1,'^'1?  ''^  'r  d^  negroes.  tIio  ciKnd  contS 
were  sent  up  to  he  police-office,  and  placed  in  the  dead-house  for  the 
coroner's  inspection  ;  but  as  he  had  no  opportunity  to  hold  an  inauest 
on  them  yesterday,  the  particulars  of  the  Xr  Knot  yet  trawjiff 

The  verdict  of  the  inquest,  subsequently  given,  was,  that 
the  negroes  had  died  of  disease ;  but  no  farther  inquiry  ap- 
pears  to  have  been  made  into  the  matter,  as  if  it  were  aJ  to- 
gether  beneath  the  notice  of  the  white  men  to  trace  out 
thwe  traders  in  the  dead  bodies  of  the  blacks. 

The  instances  of  death  from  destitution  and  want  are 
much  more  numerous  than  I  had  thought  possibMn  a  coun- 
try  like  this,  where  food  of  every  kind  is  abundant  and 
cheap,  and  where  labour  of  every  description  is  largely  re- 
munerated.   Besides  the  subscriptions  raised  in  the  different 
wards  of  this  city  to  relieve  the  in««gent  and  distressed 
classes,  who,  under  any  proper  arrangement  of  things,  ought 
not  to  exhibit  instances  of  want  iv  large  numbers  in  a  land 
of  plenty,  the  Philadelphia  Convnercial  Herald  of  January 
announces  that  "five  hundrec*^ persons  in  indigent  circum- 
stances in  that  city  were  da^y  supplied  with  good  soup,  at 
the  Western  souphouse  there."     This  indigence  in  a  coun- 
try where  food  can  be  'flised  so  cheap,  where  labour  is  in 
such  demand,  and  alv^ys  paid  so  well,  would  seem  unac- 
countable  but  for  tb/<  fact  that,  in  the  late  mania  for  spec- 
ulation, the  cultiv^ors  of  the  soil,  instead  of  following  up 
their  agricultural  pursuits,  had  left  off  farming  to  become 
speculators  in  stocks,  buyers  of  shares  in  railroads  never 
begun  and  canals  never  opened,  as  well  as  purchasers  of 
lots  of  land  on  which  towns  were  intended  to  be  built  in 
which  extravagant  schemes  they  spent  all  their  time  and 
money;  so  that  agriculture,  the  great  basis  of  the  national 
wealth,  and  the  surest  and  steadiest  security  of  individual 
prospentv  in  these  fprtilo  Rfptoo  woe  ^^  „ — i-,_..-j  ^u-.  .1 


Ill 


rAfl  or  NlfTviroilK. 


oountTy  w«uj  obliged  to  umport  grain  f<w  its  own  consump- 
ti<  !i,  'n«t^*'ad  of  supplying,  as  it  ought  to  do,  hum  its  own 
siirpltm,  th.  nUier  countries  of  Europe.  From  the  vast 
unouii  of  graui  grown  in  Araei  "a  subjected  to  distillation, 
thus  concerting  what  nature  bus  bountifwHy  supplied  for 
wholesontiA  li»i;/l  «to  the  poisonous  and  oit  "•'-engendering 
drink  of  ardent  ^pjits,  and  from  the  deficien..y  of  the  8up« 
ply  of  grain  from  its  own  soil  for  the  reason  before  assign* 
ed,  this  finest  grain-producing  country  on  the  globe  was 
obliged  to  import  its  own  food  ;  and  it  is  stated  in  the  pub- 
lic journals  of  this  city,  that  in  the  year  1837,  the  single 
port  of  Baltimore  alone  received  800,000  bushels  of  wheat 
and  140,000  bushels  of  rye  from  Europe.  The  following 
is  the  paragraph,  verbatim  : 

"The  amount  of  foreign  grain  imported  into  Baltimore  during  the 
year  1837  was  not  Tar  from  eight  hundred  thousand  buRhels  of  wheat 
and  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand  bushels  of  rye." 

The  inordinate  love  of  gain,  which  has  led  to  all  these 
perversions  of  things  from  their  right  and  proper  channels, 
i»  Working  more  mischief  in  this  coimtry,  and  undermining 
IJL  5  moral  principle  of  its  inhabitants  more  powerfully,  than 
ail  other  causes  combined,  except  perhaps  intemperance, 
me  giant-deatroyer  that  sweeps  away  thousands  every  year 
to  a  premature  grave,  and  hurries  its  victims  from  a  life  of 
comparative  virtu*  and  honesty  to  a  career  of  vice  and  in- 
famy. The  hewsp»pers  from  all  quarters  of  the  Union 
teem  with  proofs  of  the  recklessness  with  which  this  love 
of  gain  is  indulged ;  ar4  every  barrier  that  stands  in  the 
way  of  its  acquisition  setms  to  be  broken  down  without 
scruple.  Not  long  since,  a  young  man  who  had  entered 
life  with  brilliant  prospects,  a.d  was  engaged  in  a  respecta- 
ble  house  o/  ousiness,  acquired  a  taste  for  card-playing  in 
the  steamboats,  where,  it  is  said,  the  passengers  generally 
play  for  several  hours  a  day  whit%  on  their  voyage,  and 
where  professed  gamblers  and  sharptrs  are  v^ady  to  profit 
by  the  occasion,  at  first  ruining,  and  thes^  seducing  into  their 
own  ranks,  the  unguarded  and  the  yoimg.  He  soon  became 
infatuated  with  the  passion,  quitted  his  tegular  business, 
played,  lost,  ard  betook  himself  to  robbery!  when,  every 
new  exploit  mai. '  >g  him  more  and  more  despei^te,  he  enter- 
)ed  one  of  the  ba)  &X  Nashville,  in  Tennessee,  ^t  a  period 
of  the  day  whei*  tl-  \ -i  s  v  ra  absent  at  dinner,  and  find- 
ing there  the  caa^j  u.  lir-  iiira,  and  killed  him  at  a  blow, 
by  beating  his  br^nis  u.  t   nth  a  han;  4cr.     The  cries  of  the 


ROBBIBY,    MURDER,    AND   »aAUD. 


11» 


Victim  brought  a  person  from  an  adjoinini?  room  to  hi*  fP 
hef,  and  he  was  despatched  in  a  sim.la,  mann^      ^,en  oth 
er«  soon  after  arriving,  he  was  interrupted  in  h  s  .\Z^Ttf 
the  drawers  of  the  bank,  with  which  he  wuh  p?<^^eed  n ' 
till,  seeing  all  hope  of  escape  vain,  he  drew  a  lo  ded  3' 
>vith  which  he  had  furnished  himself,  for  The  murder  o   an! 
other  and  with  it  blew  out  his  own  brain.  onThe  s^ot 
Ihw  had  scarcely  been  communicated  through  the  on. 

«^i''C:/i:.:"::;79«  ""•«"•"'  ■">•'-«'  '^  "••  ^-- 

"THE  ROBBERY  OF  THE  MAIL  AND  MURDER  OF  THE 

DRIVER. 

P«<1  open  and  Iheir  conunM  rill«l     tKm  w«™  Kh^!^.'!!'*  '"■ 

But  to  show  thot  these  robberies  and  frauds  are  not  eon 
fined  to  the  South  though  no  doubt  they  are  mo"  atanZ 
^  ^v  n"?ro:;.'fh  North,  the  following^short  summarTmav 

"ATTEMPT  AT  EXTENSIVE  FRAUD. 
"A  considerable  excitement  was  produced  in  Wall  «♦««.  •  i 
Friday  and  Saturday,  in  consequence^f  ?hfdi,^oVeri  of  »n  aT'*'/" 
perpetrate  extensive  frauds  by  several  nersonThf^  "•"  *"*•"?*  *« 
whom  have  hitherto  maintained  charactiS  Si^  """  ?^.?1'  **""«  »' 
our,  honesty,  and  wealih  It  apSa«  that  'I'f  ^/««P«ctabIe  forhon- 
name  of  a  bank  in  Kentuckv  aE«i  .1'  .t^  '"'^^l*^  *  '«"•""  '"  the 
the  Union  Bank  of  tbfs  cUv  in  whf^h  fil  °w®  P'?''^^"*  or  cashier  of 
were  depo8itedX8e  platerwerro^^^^^  Skltf  .o't^''*'  ^''"'"'=''?  »""'* 
Burton  Tco.,  knd  370  SrdolUra  of  wfu-^  ik"  V^""  P^"'*"'  Messrs. 
off,  ready  for  signature     AZn"a^Hnihim^^^^^^  "''"'^  «'™«'' 

"  ^he  370,000  dolkrs  of  Llls  of'^kSX  that^t    T'  "  '■'"■^^^• 
were  then  handed  ovprtn  fh»  rT„VL  n    u  ^i  o*  "^^  *'«^»  struck  off 

city,  at  h  8  own  house  in  Wnv^riJ^^  PwfJ      j    °  ^  redeemed  m  th  s 


116 


STATE  OF  NEW-TORK. 


•  ""Two  days  after  this,  in  the  Sun  of  January  31,  another 
species  of  fraud  was  announced  in  the  following  paragraph : 

"  FALSE  TOKENS. 

"  Is  there  no  way  to  reach  the  knaves  who  have  flooded  this  city  with 
checks,  made  in  form  of  bills  upon  banks  in  which  they  have  not  a  dol. 
lar  deposited !  It  is  one  of  the  most  palpable  descriptions  of  knavery 
ever  attempted,  and  fully  equal  in  moral  guilt  to  the  counterieiting  of 
bank  notes.  In  its  purpose  and  in  its  operation  it  is  no  less  than  coun- 
terfeiting ;  and  we  recommend  every  citizen  who  receives  a  note  of  this 
description  to  commence  a  prosecution  forthwith  against  the  person 
of  whom  he  received  it.  The  laws  against  small  notes,  and  against  the 
notes  of  other  stales,  may  be  improved  for  this  purpose,  if  for  no  other." 

My  apology  for  these  quotations,  if  any  indeed  be  neces- 
sary, is  the  apprehension  that,  if  such  statements  were  made 
by  me  of  the  condition  of  society  here,  without  an  exhibition 
of  the  authorities  for  the  facts,  it  would  be  thought  an  ex- 
aggerated picture,  and  I  should  be  open  to  the  imputation 
of  having  overcharged  the  colouring.  But  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  consult  American  authorities,  and  not  English  ones, 
to  show  that  recklessness  and  fraud  are  far  more  prevalent 
in  this  community  than  in  most  others  of  a  mercantile  char- 
acter in  Europe,  and  that  an  inordinate  thirst  after  gain,  and 
h  determination  to  acquire  it  by  any  means  that  are  practi^ 
cable,  is  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  this  evil. 

Another  form  in  which  this  passion  displays  itself  is  in  the 
frequency  of  fires  in  this  country.  That,  with  the  utmost 
degree  of  prudence,  fires  will  occasionally  happen,  and 
prove  destructive  in  spite  of  every  precaution,  is  undenia- 
ble. But  the  extreme  frequency  of  fires  in  this  city  is  so 
much  greater  than  could  be  accounted  for  by  ordinary 
causes,  that  the  almost  universal  belief  here  is,  that  the  ma- 
jority of  them  are  intentional ;  some  being  occasioned  by 
persons  desiring  to  realize  a  large  insurance,  and  thus  de- 
fraud the  insurance  offices;  some  by  persons  wishing  to 
furnish  an  excuse  for  the  destruction  of  papers,  books,  and 
obligations,  so  as  to  defraud  their  creditors ;  some  for  the 
purpose  of  evading  the  payment  of  rent  due,  by  removal  of 
furniture,  so  as  to  leave  nothing  to  seize ;  and  some  by 
wretches  who  desire  only  an  opportunity  to  plunder.  The 
last  fire  that  happened  during  our  stay  in  New- York,  and 
which  occurred  on  the  30th  of  January,  was  one  originated 
by  persons  of  the  latter  description,  who  were  traced  out 
distinctly  as  the  perpetrators  of  the  act,  and  seen  afterward 
engaged  in  carrymg  off  some  of  the  effects  as  plunder.  By 
this  calamity  about  sixty  houses  were  destroved,  the  wind 
raging  so  high  as  to  defeat  ail  the  efforts  of  the  firemen  and 


FRZQVKNCy   or   VIRES. 


117 


engines  to  subdue  the  flames,  and  more  than  a  hundred  fam- 
Uies  were  thus  thrown  naked  and  houseless  into  the  streets 
in  a  night  of  the  severest  cold  we  had  yet  experienced  for 
the  winter. 

The  indifference  with  which  all  this  is  regarded  is  almost 
as  painlul  as  the  frequent  occurrence  of  the  calamity  itself,  be- 
cause  It  shows  the  utter  want  of  that  most  amiable  of  all  so- 
cial  qualities,  sympathy  in  the  sufferings  of  others,  and  a  de- 
sire  to  relieve  them  in  their  distress.     It  is  a  custom  in  this 
city,  when  a  fire  breaks  out,  for  the  bell  of  the  City  HaU  to 
be  rung  m  a  particular  manner,  so  as  to  indicate  the  locali- 
ty  of  the  fire,  while  the  other  churches  have  their  bells  rung 
m  a  different  mar.aer,  merely  to  apprize  the  town  of  the 
event.     In  any  other  city  than  this,  the  ringing  of  these  bells 
would  excite  great  attention ;  but  the  very  frequency  with 
which  fires  occur  is  urged  as  an  excuse  for  taking  no  notice  of 
them ;  and  it  is  a  common  saying,  "  that  the  only  fit  teat  of 
determining  whether  a  person  should  disturb  himself  on 
hearing  the  bells  ringing  and  engines  rattling  along  the  pave, 
ment,  IS  this :  to  put  his  hand  up  to  the  wall  at  the  head  of 
his  bed,  and  if  it  be  very  hot,  it  is  time  to  move;  but  if  not. 
he  had  beiter  remain  where  he  is."     That  fires  produced  by 
incendiaries  are  not  confined  to  New-York,  however,  the 
lollowmg  paragraph,  taken  from  the  New- York  Sun  of  Jan- 
uary 31,  will  show. 

"WHOLESALE  INCENDIARISM. 

.to'LS?  **>«  "•oraing  of  «>e  22d  instant,  no  less  than  three  of  the  principal 
stables  in  the  most  thickly-settled  part  of  Somerset,  PennsylvamawTre 
set  fire  to  by  incendiaries.  That  in  the  stable  f^m  Which  the  most 
destructiou  would  have  spread  fortunately  went  ou" ;  U,e  otherTo 
stables  were  consumed,  together  with  nine  valuable  horses,  a  number 
of  cows,  carnages,  gram,  hay,  &c.  The  citizens  of  Somerset  have  sin^I 
held  a  meeting  m  reference  to  the  matter,  and  offer  a  reward  of  600  dol- 
lars for  the  detection  of  the  incendiaries." 

In  such  a  state  of  society  as  this,  it  may  be  readily  "ima- 
gined that  there  is  abundant  occupation  for  the  members  of 
the  legal  profession  ;  and  such  is  the  fact,  as  weil  as  for  the 
agents  of  the  police.  It  may  be  thoiight  that  the  existence 
ot  highwaymen,  not  merely  in  the  neighbourhood  of  New- 
York,  but  actually  in  the  city  itself,  would  be  incredible; 
but,  m  addition  to  several  instances  verbally  related  to  me 
of  such  desperate  persons  attacking  individuals  on  the  road 
and  robbmg  them,  the  following  announcement  from  the 
New- York  Sun  of  Februarv  2.  183ft,  niit«  th-  «.o».-.  i,^^ 
yond  doubt. 


118  aTATJC  OP  NEW-YORK. 

"LOOK  OUT  FOR  HIGHWAYMEN  UP  TOWN. 

"  A  gentleman  passing  down  Tenth-street,  between  Fifth  and  Sixth 
Avenues,  about  nine  o'clock  on  Tuesday  night,  was  violently  assaulted 
by  a  villain  who  sprung  over  the  fence,  and,  without  provocation,  aimed 
a  heavy  blow  at  his  head,  which  he  escaped  by  stooping ;  his  hat  only 
being  knocked  off,  as  his  head  would  have  stood  a  strong  chance  of 
being,  had  it  met  the  ruffian's  club.  A  watchman  promptly  answered 
the  assailed  gentleman's  call  for  aid,  and  the  vagabond  was  secured  at 
the  upper  police  office ;  but  the  earnest  entreaties  of  his  wife,  and  the 
prospective  trouble  and  hinderance  a  prosecution  would  occasion  him, 
induced  the  gentleman  not  to  proceed  against  the  ruffian,  and  he  was 
discharged.  We  mention  the  circumstance  to  put  people  on  their  guard 
while  passing  through  that  part  of  the  city  after  dark." 

It  may  be  thought  that  the  vicious  associations  of  a 
crowded  city  are  chiefly,  if  not  exclusively,  the  cause  of 
such  crimes  as  these ;  but  the  accounts  from  the  country 
furnish  too  many  melancholy  instances  of  a  state  of  morals 
not  at  all  less  depraved  than  that  which  prevails  among  the 
more  degraded  classes  in  the  towns.  It  would  fill  a  large 
sheet  daily  to  give  all  the  statements  of  crime  and  wretch- 
edness that  are  brought  before  the  public  eye  every  morn- 
ing and  every  evening  of  the  week,  in  the  journals  of  this 
city  alone  ;  but  the  three  following  extracts,  taken  from  two 
papers  of  the  same  date,  the  Evenmg  Post  and  the  Tran- 
script of  February  2,  1838,  will  be  sufficient  as  specimens 
of  the  kind  of  depravity  which  unhappily  exists  in  a  land 
blessed  with  a  more  abundant  production  of  the  necessaries 
of  life  than  almost  any  country  that  can  be  named ;  where 
labour  is  more  in  demand,  and  better  paid,  than  in  any 
part  of  Europe ;  where  millions  of  unoccupied  tracts  of  land 
invite  the  cultivation  of  the  industrious ;  where  the  institu- 
tions of  the  state  open  to  every  man  of  intelligence,  indus- 
try, and  integrity  the  honours  and  emoluments  of  the  pub- 
lic service ;  where  private  enterprise  has  an  almost  unlim- 
ited field  for  its  operations ;  and  where  religious  professors 
are  more  numerous,  religious  publications  more  abundant, 
and  benevolent  institutions  more  thickly  planted,  than  la 
any  country  under  the  sim ;  yet,  in  spite  of  all  these  advan- 
tages, the  crime  and  misery  that  deface  the  laud  are  terri- 
ble to  contemplate.  •  Here  are  the  three  paragraphs  ad- 
verted to. 

"  HORRIBLE  ATTEMPTS  OP  POISONING. 

"  The  Frankfort  (Ohio)  Argus  gives  a  dreadful  detail  of  three  success- 
ive poisonings  by  arsenic  of  the  entire  family  of  Dr.  Helm,  residing  at 
Springborne.  The  writer  found  the  doctor  and  his  nephew,  also  a  phy- 
sician, together  with  Mrs.  Helm,  and  five  of  the  children,  all  sufferinff 

linrlftr  t.hn  mrnnioe  nf  nrtionn        The  ■"fssinfy.-f   -l-JI-J  — ~-  u..*  r i* 


8TATISTICW   OF  CRIME. 


119 


hS  beS*Dm"'Trp'L"''"«^  "n'^PP^""  *'^'""»  °''  "'"''  »n  ^Wch  arsenic 
,v»r.u  ?    P     ^fhe  persons  all  recovered,  and  the  family,  now  auanPPL^ 

SfeSfotfr'  black-hearted  wretch  intended  to  make  aw^JTith  tKIra 
bri»aKi™7v.P™''*''°"'  ^'"«f  »"^°"8ht  into  the  house  bit  what  were 
aS  wf[??h  •"  K*'"""*'^-    '"  *  ^^^  '^»7»'  however,  they  were  all  d*w5 
fff  ^i-^  l^®  b'?™"'^  symptoms  at  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  and  vom 

iSAr"SuC.''^r^  '"  the  coffe/or  water,  and  The*  JtTendSS 
pnysician,  ur.  Dubois,  also  one  of  the  sufferers.    Thev  recoverpH  •  Knt 

ine'oMSe^ho^l^'L''-  f  ^i  ^'^""P'  ^««  now  made?anVpreTfltano 
^tfS  h^  ^y^'  hy  introducing  the  arsenic  into  some  hominv     The 

auLtK'of  i?     '^h?*'"^^"'^  ""i""  abore-mentioned  contained  large 


«i 


"DEPLORABLE  MOR*ALS. 


tnue  isked  thnalri  V  much  so  that  she  was  past  talking.    The  magis- 

both  sent  Xr  TSt  Ho  ^Jet^SL'J  "uT^  *°**''  J'^^^  *"« 
tunate  as  to  be  respueH  S  M   ^     ^'*^^'    ".*^  *ey  not  been  so  for- 

lessness  had  suJfeStSS  hnlh^Z' n't '°  '^'••''?  ^^'  ^""y  *»«^  help, 
street."         """J«''^ea  tiiem,both  would  have  mevitably  perished  in  the 

"A  MISERABLE  SCENE. 

ar;;rt'^a  rn^ri'btr&^r.^^^^^^^^  rr'"^  ^^ 
liStro^r^^m^rt^^^^^^^^ 

Wife  beastly  drunk, Kne'cffl  yl^Jt'K  Sde"  Stwo%\'t^'" 
nearly  frozen  to  death  on  the  800^  The  m*^  w  ^- J  i^  children 
course  of  the  day  from  sickness  and  VnuVit  ^  "v*^  -^^^^  *^"""S  *he 
all  taken  to  theVatch-house  and  L^hSn  f?f  ''""?  Parties  were 
might  bury  the  dead."  '        <*«s«harged  thi^  morning,  that  they 

I  had  heard  verbally  a  hundred  cases,  at  least,  of  crime 
the  most  revolting  and  misery  the  mos    appallL,  durW 
my  stay  m  New-York;  a  large  number,  itTust  be  St^ 
ted  among  the  emigrant  families  from 'England   Ireland 
and  Scotland,  as  well  as  other  foreigners,  with  which  this 

ulttt!u^:t  ""^  '^^^^  ^"^^"^  na/ivefcftfcoun! 
try ,  but,  though  all  were  communicated  to  me  by  American 

gentlemen  long  resident  in  the  city,  and  of  „nd7ub1ed  vera" 
S'nf?J  i"i  ^^¥^^'^S  such  instances  as  the  public  jour- 
nals  of  the  day  furnished ;  because  these,  by  their  very  publi- 
city  chaUenged  contradiction,  and  in  no  instances  LfarasT 
could  discover,  was  their  accuracy  called  in  questfon  These 
cannot  be  considered,  therefore.  L  thp  l,K.iLr„  ""^..j?  _^! 
Englishman,  uttered  against  the  country" in  ^  "fit^^f^di;;;;: 


.-TiJ. 


120 


STATE   OF  NfiW-YORX. 


pointment  or  of  spleen,  but  as  the  grave  and  partial  testi- 
mony of  the  American  journals,  conducted  by  men  who  are 
generally  disposed  to  put  the  most  favourable  construction 
on  everything  that  belongs  to,  or  occurs  within,  their  own 
country ;  and  who  always  seek  to  present  the  most  favour- 
able aspect  of  their  public  affairs  and  private  morals  to 
those  who  sojourn  among  them. 

.  As  to  the  causes  to  which  these  evils  may  be  traced,  I 
had  listened  to  disquisition  upon  disquisition  in  private  cir- 
cles ;  and  from  what  I  had  heard  and  what  I  had  seen,  I 
had  drawn  my  own  conclusions.  Some  of  these  I  have 
ventured  to  express  in  the  preceding  pages ;  and  to  others 
I  shall  from  time  to  time  give  utterance,  as  the  occasion 
noay  demand.  But  to  answer  by  anticipation  anv  imputa- 
tions  of  unfairness  or  harshness  of  judgment  which  may  be 
pronounced  on  such  strictures  by  those  who  roigfet  be  dis- 
posed to  think  them  overcharged,  I  avail  mjsew  again  of  a 
native  authority  of  good  repute  and  extensive  circulation 
among  the  middle  classes  of  society,  90,000  copies  daily 
being  the  amount  of  its  sale  in  New- York  alone,  in  which, 
in  a  leading  article  of  the  Sun  of  February  2,  1838,  is  the 
following  frank,  and,  I  believe,  perfectly  honest  review  of 
the  causes  and  consequences  o(  the  present  state  of  society 
in  America : 

"  Enterprise  has  long  been  spoken  o/  as  a  characteristic  of  our  nation ; 
and  in  the  way  of  enterprise,  Uncle  Sam*  certainly  deserves  the  credit 
or  having  outstripped  his  older  neighbours.  No  undertaking  which 
promised  any  adequate  return  has,  in  any  difficulty  short  of  impossibil- 
ity, found  cause  sufficient  to  deter  us  Americans.  Even  impossibility 
must  be  demonstrated  bej^ond  a  question  by  a  score  or  two  of  abortive 
attempts  before  it  is  admitted.  '  Try'  is  the  first  word,  the  meaning  of 
which  is  thoroughly  mastered.  Boys  are  men  before  they  are  loosed 
from  their  leading-strings.  They  are  educated  in  the  belief  that  every 
man  must  be  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune.  There  is,  to  be  sure  a 
limited  class,  who  look  forward  to  the  arrival  at  majority  or  to  the  d*e- 
cease  of  parents  as  the  commencement  of  an  era  in  which  they  will 
have  no  duty  to  do  but  to  enjoy  the  property  bequeathed  them.  But  as 
a  class,  it  is  too  small  to  be  considered  in  the  estimate  of  national  char- 
acter. The  great  majority  look  forward  to  manhood  as  the  time  to  act, 
and  anticipate  it  by  juvenile  participation  in  the  events  of  busy  life. 
Boys  argue  upon  polemics,  political  economy,  party  politics,  the  mys^ 
teries  of  trade,  the  destinies  of  nations.  Dreams  of  ambition  or  of 
wealth  nerve  the  arm  which  drives  the  hoop ;  the  foot,  which  gives  the 
ball  its  impetus.  Toys  are  stock  in  trade.  Barter  is  fallen  into  by  in- 
stinct, as  a  young  duck  takes  to  the  water. 

"  There  is  scarcely  a  lad  of  any  spirit  who  does  not,  from  the  time 
that  he  can  connect  the  most  simple  ideas,  picture  to  himself  soma  rapid 

.1.*  ^  ^•'^i?  '^?™"  'L*  ""tionfl  tenn  for  the  American jier.ple,  as  "  John  Bull"  it  for 
tac  xarJBiisn.    4*  rcSaiS  to  hnTo  gupciBcucu  ilic  phrase  "  crotner  Jonathan.'' 


ENTIUIPJIISB   OF  THE   AMBRICANS.  Hi 

road  to  wealth:  indefinite  and  obscure  it  is  trup     Bnf  u         j     ^ 
history  of  Girard,  and  of  others  Sho^ave  "massed  weLSf  "iS*  '^^ 
the  termini  of  the  race  •  doVppiv  »f  nnll^  Im,,        ^^al'h.    He  sees 
jumps  the  intermedrateySr8%e  fan  AaUhT.o.^'  '^\°^^^'^  »»d 
will  be  as  easy  as  imaginaUon     He^eams  of  J!ch  "''*  of  amassing 

by  some  lucky^pecuirn'^TontSmir^iJi  coSeiS^het?"^ 
to  regard  as  a  slothful  vice     To  become  rich  La  ^t^^  "®  ^^^^^ 
-influential,  great.  P<!werful4»his Triing  obS     HeTnn'/''P"'=^^^ 
honest  labour  which  was  con-idered  the  ?oad  to  weSth  tt"'"^*^^ 
prise  was  so  rife,  and,  if  he,*espects  his  father  he  relLf/v  ^"'^''- 
good,  honest  old  drudge,  wrth  oldfashioned  noUons  but  E.Sl™  f  * 
barous  and  behind  tbeaaa.    If  maternal  fondnP«r«n^-  *"o?f  *''«'•  bar- 
city  in  preferring  requS  8uccS,Te    s  la^^ 
on  the  sea  of  en^rprwe,  with  all  his  father's  «van!Jio    o".«-and. twenty 
with  him.    If  lAe  aid  gentleman  is  too  sSbh^™  tn    •  W*^  embarked 
if  other  circuirtstaaWmake  U^mpXivfttho  yjfldhis  opinion,  or 
be  content  yith  honest  hat£rTSlLtJf^}'°''^^'  ^°''  *  ^''»«' 
braces  the  Irst  opportunity  to  leafehfs  cr^ft  fn,  1.2^  ',"*^^'*^'  ^«  «™- 
a  bird  in  tie  hmdZ^y,  and  comSi  the  m/^^it^f  iS**'"** '  ^  ^''"'^ 
»  One  b'reat  cause  of  our  SS^t  sL?  iH^n    i"^**?'*  •'"  ^*'«  ''"«h. 
tempt  into  which  industnr  irDroducSi  hL%,*'"°»l^ 
states-those,  we  mean,  which  DrodnPP^fh«^-  '^'"f "'    ^''«  agricultural 
are  ipt  half  cultivated     The  vo^S  ^Lt^""^  necessaries  of  life- 
vot«4  to  improving  lands  and  t'he  moJ.  nr^'ff  '*'"''''  ^''""I'J  ^e  de- 
prwusingthe  lessens  of  exnTrien^PtSfhio/"'""^^.'  *°  embracing  and 
erie^  of  agricultural  theorists  Sn'ri^Hi!?*^",?^"*^  *«'*'"«  ^^^  ^'^o^- 
rte*d,  to  WulatingTthfscImVDSet  wSir^^'l'^^^  devoted,  in- 
pracUcal  improvement     Evpn  th^  «m  ?     ^^'^h  old  lands  yield  under 
would  think,^clea?Sugh  of  e^j^°ii£r"^^^  one 

tic  in  their  graspinrfof  terrlS^^«vS****'  national  characteris- 
iiot  by  their  productiveL88bSvtw^!?*^^"'*a,[^«  ^«^"«  of  farms, 
till  the  taxes  on  its  LSValL  Jr^  co^^^^^^      Jk^^  «f"'P  *^""°»7 
a  serious  burden.    They  purSie  ev^^  a  ™  r^^l  V^  *''*"«^  ^«»lth 
border  of  inactive  money,  CusewhilP  h^^^*^  '"''  f.^"™®  ^''a"  *e 
thing,  it  costs  him  nothing  f^  Sin  J    wh^tT^'r'  ^°'1  P^^'  h'™  no- 
addition  of  acre  to  acre,isan  eSS?e  invillm//"™*''  ?."*•«' '"  ^^e 
•purchase-money.  expensive  investment,  even  aside  from  the 

th:  [reri'!?bLTfs  3  thSeTon  of'/h^  ""^'^  '''  V^'-'^<^^  -«« 
ities  were  in  evTrvbodv wS      f ^  °^'''^'' '^l"^«-    Banking  facil- 

"  Now  speculation  in  her  jrlorv  walkpil      Tninfo»«.„i, 
tract  sunbeams  from  cucumteir,? /„%,?, "X"  J'    ^^^o^ations  to  ex- 

.»hJe h.=  all „ .. siai^e.    i,„,„^ ami «tmTa,a«ce Weteiihe'ctS 


1S2 


STATE   or  MIW*rORK. 


Of  all  classes,  from  th«  richest  down  almost  to  the  very  poorest.  En- 
ropean  nobles  and  prince.,  with  sure  incomes  and  immense,  have  been 
taken  for  models ;  and,  wi«,  true  American  enterprise,  the  Models  have 
been  outdone.  Troops  of  seNants  have  taken  the  place  of  the  cook,  the 
chambermaid,  and  the  boy  John.  Three  have  been  installed  where  one 
formerly  served.  High-seasoned  iishes  and  expensive  knickknacks  have 
driven  out  the  plain  joint.  Silver  services  have  supplanted  china,  delft, 
and  Bntwinia  ware.  Expensive  carhages  have  ti^en  the  place  of  the 
comfortable  old  famUy  co»:h;  and  coa«5hes  and  chaises  have  been  set 
up  by  families  who  are  really  puzzled  to  find  a  use  for  them.  The  flne 
arts,  which  are  capable  of  exerting  a  refifNne  and  excellent  inflnpnpA 
have  only  served  to  minister  to  tSe  insolv,^cy  of  fhose  whSse  onft 
■tandard  of  value  is  price,  and  whose  niles  ocUle  are  gSua'ed  bJ 
dollars.  TraveUing  in  foreign  countries  has  been  abuied  Once  it  was 
a  great  means  of  improvement.  Now  our  young  men  are  retumpii 
rogues  and  fops,  with  extravagant  anti-American  mtiohs.  and  a  disno 
Bition  to  hug  and  imitate  all  the  follies  of  European  traVellers  in  thii. 
country.  The  heads  of  American  wives  and  daughters  art  turned  and 
infant  children  look  forward  to  travel,  to  Jinish  them.  AmiHement  ha* 
been  eagerly  sought  at  any  cost;  and  the  more  extravagam  its  oriM 
the  more  genteel.  Frugality  has  been  contemned  as  an  oldfishioned 
Md  dirty  foib  e.  Dress  has  been  outrageously  expensive,  com  beinir 
the  only  criterion  of  its  quality.  -=         ^      r  .    "«i^  uemg 

"So  much  for  a  review  of  the  past.  In  the  present  quiet  we  r^oice 
to  believe  a  revolution  is  at  work.  Eyes  have  been  opened  to  the X 
structive  consequences  of  an  over-issue  of  bank  promises:  and  ths  ik" 
dustnous  body  of  the  people  have  learned  to  watch  banks  with  a  jeaK 
ousy  which  will  eflfectually  bar,  for  many  a  year,  any  return  of  the  evils 
we  have  just  gone  through.  ^     ^  j  «oru8 

"After  aU  the  scenes  of  commercial  distress,  and  of  suffering  araonp 
the  operative  and  industnous,  the  conclusion  yet  remains  that  nothinl 
has  been  anmh*lated.    The  world  stands  the  same.    We  are  not  so  much 

^rLf'^Z^  X""^' "  ""^  ^'"''^  *''°"8''*-  The  only  difference  is,  that 
time  and  truth,  those  experienced  appraisers,  have  restored  the  old  and 
true  valuation  to  commodities  whicfi  have  been  overvalued,  and  pro- 
nounced  those  worthless  which  are  so.  It  may  be  that  there  is  some 
depreciation,  but  prudence  and  industry  will  soon  put  things  upon  a  sta! 
ble  basis.  We  are  much  richer  in  experience,  much  morrhumble. 
much  more  frugal,  much  more  prudent  already ;  and  if  the  reformation 
StaSy""*^"''         "^'^  ^"'^^  *^®  pressure'^have  proved  a  gooTspS 

This  was  one  of  the  most  sensible  expositions  of  the  true 
causes  of  the  present  state  of  affairs  that  I  remember  to  have 
met  with  m.any  of  the  public  prints  that  fell  under  my  eye  • 
and  It  IS  to  be  regretted  that  such  frank  and  instructive  ex' 
positions  are  not  more  frequently  made.  Instead  of  this 
each  party  organ  endeavours  to  throw  the  whole  blame  of 
the  matter  on  the  party  to  which  it  is  opposed ;  and,  to  ef- 
feet  this,  no  sort  of  device  is  left  untried.  Misrepresenta- 
tion  the  most  gross  and  palpable  is  resorted  to  on  the  most 
common  occasions,  even  on  those  where  detection  of  such 
misrepresentation  is  certain ;  and  the  result  is,  that  the  pub- 
lie  press  here,  as  in  England,  is  fast  losmg  what  Httle  inilu- 


TRBA8UHIBS  AND   8UB-TRBA8CRIM. 


128 


ence  it  possessed  over  the  public  mind,  by  writing  itself 
down  by  its  own  extravagances.  ^        ^        " 

The  great  question  now  in  debate  between  the  two  conflict- 
ing part.es  of  the  State,  for  instance,  is  this :  whetirr  the  Got 
ernment  shall  keep  safe  custody  of  the  surplus  revenueT; 
well-secured  treasuries  of  its  own,  under  resiJonsible  officers 
and  with  every  available  guarantee  for  security,  or  whether' 
they  shall  deposite  it  in  a  great  bank,  like  the  Bank  of  Eng! 
land  such  as  was  the  United  States  Bank,  or  in  smaller  branch- 
t?on  wh"^  if "  '"^Jlt^tion.  One  would  think  that  the  only  ques- 
tion  which  would  mterest  the  people  in  this  affair  was  as  to 
the  relative  degree  of  safety  and  security,  or  otherwise  ;  for 
fL  ♦K^       ^'^^"^"n^ty  who  must  pay  all  the  taxes  and  du- 

cruing  after  its  collection,  it  is  clearly  their  interest  to  pre- 
ler  that  niode  of  custody  and  safekeeping  which  is  most  se- 
cure,  and  the  Government  treasuries  would  seem,  to  most 
unprejud^ed  men,  better  for  this  purpose  than  any  private 
♦i.    wu-  ^^^^  P^^'"  question  has  been  so  mystified  by 

tne  Whig  party,  who  are  against  these  treasuries  and  sub- 
treasuries,  and  who  want  the  Government  to  deposite  this 
surplusm  a  great  bank,  and  let.that  bank  trade  upon  it,  so 
t^,-  tf  rfu"''^!",^"'^  discounts  to  merchants  and  specila- 
tors,  that  the  whole  community  is  divided  into  two  hostile 
parties  upon  this  subject;  as  they  are  in  Ireland  upon  the 

n  FnlT'!;°"'  '"  ®u'°*^u"^  "P°"  '^"^  ^olyxnX^ty  system,  and 
m  iiUgland  upon  church-rates  and  the  ballot. 

There  would  be  no  great  evil  in  this  if  fairness  of  deal- 
ing  characterized  their  proceedings;  but  everything  is  dis, 
torted  to  serve  party  views.     If  the  largest  meeting  is  got 
up  on  one  side,  the  opposite  party  declares  it  to  be  a  mire 
handful  in  numbers.     If  the  parties  are  ever  so  wealthy  and 
respectable,  they  are  pronounced  to  be  a  set  of  needy  vaga- 
bonds.    If  the  talent  of  the  speeches  should  be  of  the  high, 
est  kind,  they  would  call  them  mere  drivellings;  and  if  the 
order  was  disturbed  for  a  single  moment,  they  would  de- 
nf  FnJl*  "^  I  bear.garden;  and  in  this,  too,  the  party.press 
?nH»  f  .u    5^'  unhappily  set  them  an  example.    Sometimes, 
mdeed,  the  fact  of  the  numbers  is  so  notorious  that  it  cannot 
be  sately  denied ;  but  then  another  course  is  taken :  to  ad- 
mit  the  numbers,  but  pretend  that,  after  all,  this  matters  no- 
t^mg,  lor  other  reasons  which  they  assign.     A  ludicrous  in, 
stance  of  this  occurred  in  the  Evening  Star  of  February  8, 
l«J8,in  which  the  editor.  Major  Noah,  himself  very  recently 
one  oi  me  Democratic  party  that  he  now  denounces,  witea 


lUi] 


STATE   OF   NEW-YORK. 


"  The  New  Era  and  Evening  Post,  organs  of  the  Locofoco  party,  de-« 
Clare  that  there  was  an  immense  meeting  at  Tammany  Hall  on  Tues- 
day  evening,  full  2000  persons  present.  We  believe  it ;  and  what  does 
it  prove  1  Why,  that  in  a  city  of  300,000  inhabitants,  2000  radicals, 
agrarians,  Fanny-Wright  men,  and  Locofoeos  can  be  found,  who,  hav-" 
ing  no  employment,  no  interest  in  society,  no  means  present  or  pros- 
pective, have  thrown  themselves  on  the  bounty  of  the  Van  Buren  party, 
and,  in  hopes  of  part  of '  the  spoils'  and  a  portion  in  a  scramble  for  the 
people's  money,  have,  by  invitation,  met  at  Tammany  Hall,  and  swal- 
lowed the  whole  dose  prepared  by  the  office-holders.  The  appeal  hav- 
ing been  made  by  our  rulers  to  men  '  wanting  principle  and  wanting 
bread,'  to  organize  against  respectable  American  citizens  having  some- 
thing at  stake,  it  was  not  surprising  that  they  crowded  to  Tammany 
Hall  to  obey  orders.    They  will  claim  their  pay  shortly." 

"  Agrarians"  is  the  name  here  given  to  people  who  meet 
to  recommend  the  Government  to  keep  the  revenue  in  safe 
custody,  in  treasuries  of  their  own,  instead  of  intrusting  it  to 
speculating  banks,  at  the  risk  of  losing  it  all ;  though  in  other 
countries  this  term  is  usually,  tho?  Ai  erroneously,  applied  to 
those  who  are  supposed  to  desire  that  the  public  lands  and 
public  wealth  should  be  taken  from  the  rich  and  divided 
among  the  poor.  Here,  too,  the  "  scramblers  for  the  share 
of  the  spoils  of  the  people's  money"  are  not  the  bankers, 
who  want  it  to  trade  upon,  with  all  the  risk  of  gain  or  loss, 
but  the  people  themselves,  who  want  their  own  money  to  be 
taken  care  of,  that  it  may  not  be  scrambled  for  by  anybody; 
and  here  also  "  poverty  and  the  want  of  bread,"  which  is 
falsely  asserted  to  be  the  condition  of  those  who  attended, 
this  meeting,  is  imputed  or  insinuated  as  a  crime,  and  as 
making  the  parties  disreputable  by  their  mere  poverty  alone, 
a  doctrine  as  current  among  the  Whigs  in  America  as  in. 
England. 

When  a  writer  of  the  Whig  party  has  to  describe  a  meet- 
ing on  their  own  side,  however,  he  can  find  no  terms  sufii- 
oiently  swelling  and  lofty  in  which  to  express  himself.  The 
2000  who  may  attend  it  are  not,  as  in  the  former  case,  taken 
to  be  the  whole  body  that  can  be  mustered  out  of  300,000 
inhabitants,  but,  by  a  magic  flourish  of  the  editorial  wand, 
they  are  made  to  be  the  representatives  of  many  millions 
that  are  absent,  and  everything  they  do  or  say  is  of  the  most 
pure,  most  disinterested,  most  intelligent,  most  eloquent,  and 
most  dignified  description.  Their  "thunder"  is  not  like 
any  other  thunder  that  was  ever  heard  before,  and  the  very 
globe  seems  to  be  shaken  to  its  centre  by  their  gigantic  pow- 
ers. As  an  illustration  of  this,  the  following  is  from  the 
Daily  Whig  of  the  morning  succeeding  that  of  the  Evening 
Star,  namelv,  Fpihrnarv  Q   Iftfift.  ° 


EXAOOBRATION  OF  PARTY  PRESS. 


125 


"THE  GREAT  ANTI-SUB-TREASURY  MEETING. 

"We  have  heard  the  old  temple  of  liberty,  Masonic  Hall,  rina  till  its 
rafters  cracked  with  the  shout  of  assembled  thousands,  that  drowned 
the  thunders  of  artillery  on  a  great  and  patriotic  triumph ;  but  we  never 
witnessed  or  heard  anything  like  the  burst  of  American  feeling  which 
resounded  there  on  Wednesday  night.  If  the  sound  does  not  mike  he 
White  House-  at  Washmgton  tremble,  and  the  Machiavelian  Belshaz- 
zar  St  knees  smite  against  each  other  with  '  fear  of  change  perplexing.' 
then  there  is  rather  strength-giving  than  death  in  the  poisoned  chalice. 

dregs  oEemJss^  '^  ^°'  ^^^  ^°^^®'  ***'  "*"'*  ^"'"  ***  *®  ''^^ 

JIJ^^  r'^ii"'  °'  ^•'"'r  PP®'  *'"  "°*  ""o*'  "8  to  afford  even  a  meager 
outline  of  the  powerful  appeals  which  were  made  to  American  pnde, 

SfL"/'  *!l'l  Pa*'^=9»"ra  on  ihat  occasion,  in  opposition  to  the  most  im' 
pudent  and  tyrannical  stretch  of  power  that  was  ever  suggested  by  the 
drunken  bram  of  ambitior.    Everything  was  said  by  cFandler  Starr, 
haq.,  Alderman  Paterson,  Alderman  Bruen,  Hugh  Maxwell,  Esq.,  aiK^ 
Hiram  Ketchum,  Esq.,  that  love  of  country  could  dictate  or  eloquence 
enforce ;  and  a  response  was  echoed  back  from  the  throng  crMng 
75-7.?."*  "[  *^^  hall  that  thriUed  through  every  fibre  of  our  A.  ai 
It  did  through  the  whole  assembled  multitude.    There  was  bp'bne  feel- 
mg  with  three  thousand  American  citizens  there  present,  U^  represent- 
atives often  millions  who  were  absent,  and  that  feeling^s  indignation 
at  the  tyranny  of  our  rulers.    There  was  but  one  higlii^solve  that  made 
three  thousand  hearts  beat  together  loudly,  and  tha^aSf  not  to  bear  the 
r.J!?/''!*  "'*"'*  "  f^^"S  for  them.    There  is  no^staking  the  spirit  of 
1776  wherever  and  whenever  it  shows  itself;  ar^the  free  people  of  our 
United  States  will  be  themselves  incarcerat^"  the  subterranean  dun- 
geons of  the  '  Independent  Treasury'  befow*n®y  suffer  the  revenues  of 
the  country  to  be  converted  to  the  haaej/^^  of  political  traitors," 

Such  are  the  distorted  and/»aggerated  pictures  dravn 
by  the  writers  on  each  side/^the  proceedings  of  their  own 
party  and  of  their  opponp*^ ;  but,  though  this  practice  de- 
serves the  severest  rem^ation,  candour  compels  us  to  ad. 
mit  that  the  Englisjyf'''ess  has  shown  them  the  example, 
and  they  have  oijK  made  the  copy  more  highly  coloured 
than  the  original    I  pass  on,  however,  to  other  topics. 

The  taste  c/the  populace  in  New- York  for  shows  and 
sights  is  qui*  as  strong  as  in  any  part  of  England,  and 
public  cejporations  of  particular  events  by  anniversary  days 
appear  >^  excite  more  general  attention.  Two  such  days 
occu5>«id  during  our  stay  in  this  city ;  the  first  was  called 
"  E''acuation  Day,"  from  the  English  troops  having  quitted 
tb!  city  on  that  day,  the  25th  of  November ;  and  the  sec- 
ond was  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  New-Orleans 
where  General  Jackson  obtained  so  decided  a  victory  over 
the  British.  This  last  was  chiefly  confined  to  the  admin- 
istration party,  being  tinged  with  political  associations;  but 

Un\Id  sS  foStil'S^         "  *'°  "^"'^  ""''^"^'' ''  *«  P'«"«^«'>'  "^  ^ 
t  Thw  »  applied  to  Mr.  Van  Buren,  the  existing  president.  f| 


IM 


STATK   OF   NEW-TORK. 


the  first  was  more  general,  though  the  weather  was  ex- 
tremely unfavourable  to  public  processions.  The  reports 
of  the  day's  proceedings  in  the  newspapers  were  as  varied 
OS  their  general  character ;  but  there  was  one  that  offered 
so  good  a  specimen  of  a  kind  of  writing  which  is  peculiar 
to  America,  that  I  venture  to  transcribe  it.  Its  peculiarity- 
consists  in  a  strange  mixture  of  the  serious  and  the  sarcas- 
tic, the  grave  and  the  witty,  the  sober  and  the  ironical,  with 
all  the  while  an  under-current  of  self-gratulation  at  the  ex- 
ploits of  the  country,  and  the  privilege  of  being  one  f  its 
citizens.  If  a  foreigner  had  written  it,  it  would  have  been 
thought  contemptuous ;  but  from  the  pen  of  a  native  Amer- 
ican, it  is  meant  to  be  at  once  amusing  and  complimentary, 
tt^d  would  be  so  regarded  even  by  the  personages  descri- 
*'"*     Here  it  is: 


be6. 


"  Your  hero  never  shows  white  feathet 
Even  to  the  very  worn  of  weather. 


We  coiild-^pt  but  feel  a  stirring  impulse  of  enthusiasm— a  thrill  of 
patriotic  pride  «»d  self-gratulation— at  7  o'clock  this  morning,  at  behold- 
ing  the  mdomitatfe.  spirit  of  bravery  and  contempt  of  danger  exhibited 
by  a  detachment  of  »,,r  martial  fellow-citizens,  returning  up  Broadway, 
in  the  very  teeth  of  ti^  snowstorm,  from  the  performance  of  their  ar- 
duous duty  at  the  Battb...  'There,'  we  soliloquized,  •  goes  the  palla- 
dium of  our  country  s  saft,,  against  all  the  power  of  a  world  in  arms : 
there  go  the  dauntless  heart,»he  jron  frame,  the  arm  of  might,  and  the 
soul  of  patriotic  chivalry.'  Vy.^  can  entertain  a  doubt  of  American 
bravery,  when  he  sees  those  no>,e  fellows-thd&e  unconquerable  citi- 
zen-soldiers-trudging  thus  gallanv,  along,  through  mud  and  slush,  and 
wind  and  snow,  bearing  their  head>.„rect,  with  unwinking  eyes,  and 
muskets  bravely  shouftered,  and  looking  ^alm  and  resolute  as  though 
the  loveliest  of  spnng-time  were  bloomh,  joyously  about  them,       ^ 

First  came  a  band  of  youthful  heroes,  a^^^ed  with  cap  and  plume, 
and  braided  coats  and  knapsacks  at  their  bac<,  unshrinkingly  encoun' 
tenng  the  fury  of  the  elements,  without  grea^oat  or  clolk,  or  even 
worsted  comforter  to  guard  their  throats  agamsithe  damp  Md  cold: 
then  followed  the  bold  musicians,  pounng  the  makf^l  strain  from  fife 
and  drum,  and  trumpet,  giving  old  winter  blast  for  .j^st  •  then  came 
the  grim  and  frowning  cannons— two  of  them— each  Vi.h'  ^g  tumbril 
charged  with  the  fiery  dust  that  emulates  the  voUeying^jjunder  •  and 
last,  though  far  from  least,  the  sturdy  veterans  of  the  ancie^  corns  dis 
daining  all  the  foppery  of  Mars,  and  breasting  the  pitiless  northern 
wind  and  driving  sleet  in  their  plain  blue  coats,  round  hats,  am  other 
every-day  habiliments.  One  craven  soul  there  was,  whose  right  hand 
bore  aloft  no  dreadful  sword,  but  in  its  stead  a  large  black  silk  umbrel 
la ;  and  another  had  fortified  his  person  with  a  Petersham.  But  theJ 
■were  exceptions,  and  did  but  show  more  bravely  forth  the  courage  ot 
^he  rest.  There  was  ope  hero,  marching  by  the  side  of  the  detach- 
ment, with  a  cross-belt  slung  around  him,  and  a  long  sword  in  his  red 
right  hand— we  took  him  for  a  corporal,  or  perhaps  a  sergeant— whom 
we  could  not  behold  without  excess  of  admiration.  Nature  had  boun- 
teously endowed  his  cheeks  with  a  mighty  crop  of  whisker ;  and  on 
these  the  snow  had  settled  thick  and  deep,  so  that  he  looked  for  all  the 


CODRTa   or  LAWW^' 


127 


world  as  thouah  his  barber  had  stuck  a  monstrous  powdcr-pnfr  on  either 
side,  betweeuTus  collar  and  his  skin  ;  and  so  thermarch""  ak."ru! 
mindful  of  the  storm,  while  the  big  drum,  vigorously  pounded  by  J'oa"; 
of  stalwart  arms,  gave  forth  a  dumpish  sound,  and  tL  shSl  nmei^of 
the  trumpet  struggled  through  the  snow-encumbered  air." 

Many  of  the  public  processions  in  this  country  are,  how- 
ever,  admirably  conducted;  and  some  of  the  volunteer  com- 
panics,  under  arms,  would  be  thought  highly  of,  even  by 
mihtary  men,  for  their  appropriate  dress,  excellent  aquio- 
ments,  and  steady  order  of  march. 


CHAPTER  X. 

the  City.-CIergy  and  Ministen  of  Relirion  in  NewVork-Sr^.inf"-  •*"*'" 
r-ngement.  Comfort-£emce,  Singing.'^AbwSce  Jf  P„°Ipiu  J^l  '&i-Oe"S4'i 
Character  for  Learning  and  Pety  of  the  Cler»T  — BenevoCiU  IJ^ffni.  «f  .r  v  i 
tery  8y.iem.-Exten.fTe  Field  oV  Miwion.Tj'^labi^rTtti^^LS.d".^  "*  ^*'"* 

The  Courts  of  Law  in  New-York  are  held  in  the  City 
Hall.     They  consist  of  a  Court  of  Chancery,  a  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  a  Superior  Court,  and  a  Supreme  Court, 
each  of  which  has  Its  special  judges,  and  peculiar  forms  of 
proceeding.     Tne  Court  of  Chancery,  like  that  of  England, 
from  which  It  derives  its  name,  is  a  court  of  equity,  presi- 
ded  over  by  a  chancellor  as  judge,  who  is  guided  in  his  de- 
cisions  partly  by  precedents,  partly  by  statutes,  and  partly 
by  the  reason  or  justice  of  the  case.     He  is  not  a  political 
officer,  as  in  England,  having  here  no  other  functions  to 
discharge  than  those  belonging  to  his  office  as  judge.     He 
IS  not  assisted  by  a  jury ;  the  proceedings,  as  in  England 
are  rather  written  than  verbal;  and  depositions  and  inter- 
rogatories  take  the  place  of  viva  voce  examinations.     As 
might  be  expected  of  a  system  so  closely  resembling  that 
ol  the  parent  country,  the  same  tree  produces  the  same 
iruits;  and  the  characteristics  of  a  chancery-suit  here  are 
jjrecisely  the  same  as  they  are  with  us :  endless  delay,  bound- 
less  expense,  and  harassing  uncertainty.     The  Court   of 
Common  Pleas  resembles  our  cour<  of  the  same  name  in 
J^ngland ;  and  the  common-law  authorities  and  common-law 
precedents  are  lollowed  as  in  it,  modified,  of  course,  by  the 


STATC   or   NEW-YORK. 


itatute  law  of  the  state ;  while  the  forms  of  proceeding  are 
nearly  the  same,  varied  only  in  a  slight  degree  by  local  cir- 
cumstances. The  Siiperio  Court  in  analogous  to  that  of 
our  court  of  King's  Bench,  taking  cognizance  of  similar  ca- 
ses, and  having  similar  powers.  The  Supreme  Court  is  the 
court  of  appeal  from  all  other  tribunals  of  the  city,  as  well 
as  from  the  county  and  circuit  courts,  in  which  cases  are 
tried ;  and  the  last  resort,  beyond  the  Supreme  Court,  is  that 
which  is  called  the  Court  of  Errors,  composed  of  three  judg- 
es of  the  Supreme  Court,  a  judge  from  each  of  the  other 
three  courts  of  the  city,  and  the  Senate  of  the  State,  cor- 
responding nearly  to  the  court  of  appeal  before  whom 
writs  of  error  are  tried  in  England,  namely,  the  House  of 
Lords. 

The  judges  in  each  of  the  inferior  courts  are  appointed 
by  the  Legislature  of  the  state  for  terms  of  five  years,  and 
are  usually  reappointed  if  the  same  political  party  rules  in 
the  Legislature ;  though,  in  times  of  high  party  excitement, 
they  are  changed,  if  changes  in  the  state  of  parties  occur 
either  in  the  Senate,  the  House  of  Assembly,  or  the  govern- 
or, which  three  bodies  constitute  the  Legislature  of  the 
state.  The  Congress  of  the  United  States,  or  the  General 
Government  of  the  whole  Union,  have  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  their  appointment  or  removal,  the  independence  of 
the  State  Government  never  being  interfered  with  in  this 
respect.  The  chancellor  and  the  judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  including  one  chief  justice  and  two  associate  judges, 
are  also  appointed  by  the  Legislature  of  the  state  for  life,  or 
till  the  age  of  sixty,  which  is  fixed  by  law  as  the  period  of 
their  superannuation.  The  elective  principle  is,  therefore, 
not  acted  upon  in  the  choice  of  the  judges  in  the  State  of 
New- York,  and  they  are  considered  here  to  be  as  inde- 
pendent of  the  people  as  they  are  of  the  government,  and 
enjoy  quite  as  large  u  share  of  popular  estimation  for  impar- 
tiality and  integrity  as  our  judges  at  home. 

The  number  of  persons  belonging  to  the  legal  profession 
in  New- York  alone  exceeds  700,  of  whom  about  50  only 
are  judges,  in  all  the  courts  together.  The  remainder  are 
barristers  and  attorneys,  which  are  here  not  separate  profes- 
sions as  in  England,  but  united  in  the  same  individuals. 
The  qualification  for  admission  is  a  seven  years'  apprentice- 
ship, or  articled  servitude,  under  a  licensed  legal  practition- 
er ;  or,  if  four  years'  classical  study  in  any  college  or  uni- 
versity in  the  United  States  can  be  certified,  the  term  is  then 
abridged  to  four  years  ;  but,  at  the  end  of  either  or  both  of 


OOVRTfl   or  LAW. 


iS9r 


these  terms,  a  rigi<l  examination  must  be  successfully  sustain-, 
ed  by  the  candidate  before  his  license  to  practise  will  be. 
granted  by  the  court.  When  thus  qualified,  he  may  act  as 
uttorney  for  preparing  casen  to  be  tried  in  either  of  the  courts, 
or  he  may  officiate  as  pleader  or  counsel.  It  is  not  usuol, 
however,  for  persons  to  undertake  the  latter  duty  until  they 
have  acquired  some  standing  as  attorneys  ;  and  some,  in- 
deed, continue  to  practise  as  attorneys  only,  without  entering 
on  the  duties  of  counsel  at  all.  Others,  again,  commencing 
as  attorneys,  go  on  for  a  few  years  as  such,  when  they  unite 
with  It  the  business  of  pleaders,  and  then  end  in  practising 
only  as  barristers,  leaving  the  duties  of  the  attorneys  to  be 
practised  by  those  of  less  standing  or  inferior  eminence  to 
themselves. 

In  the  proceedings  before  the  courts,  no  wigs  or  gowns 
are  worn  by  any  of  the  parties  officially  engaged ;  and  al-, 
though,  at  first  sight,  this  seems  to  an  English  observer  as  a 
defect,  yet  a  very  few  attendances  on  the  courts,  and  a  slight 
degree  of  interest  in  the. proceedings,  causes  this  impression 
to  wear  off,  when  one  becomes  as  readily  accustomed  to  it 
as  to  the  loose,  disorderly,  and  undignified  appearance  of  the 
House  of  Commons  in  England,  where  members  sit  in  eve- 
ry variety  of  coloured  clothes,  boots,  spurs,  and  whips,  with 
their  hats  on,  in  lounging  attitudes,  and  an  appearance  of 
the  utmost  indifference  to  what  is  going  on ;  a  feature  which 
is  usually  revolting  to  the  stranger  from  the  country  who 
visits  the  House  of  Commons  for  the  first  time,  but  to  which 
he  gets  as  speedily  reconciled  as  he  would  do  to  the  un- 
wigged  and  ungowned  judges  and  barristers  here. 

The  style  of  speaking  among  the  counsel,  in  their  address- 
es to  the  judge  and  jury,  is  less  technical  and  pedantic  than 
m  England,  and  less  oratorical  in  manner.  Shrewdness, 
sagacity,  wit,  and  tact  are  the  chief  characteristics  of  the 
addresses  from  the  bar ;  and  plain  deductions  from  estab- 
hshed  premises,  or  clear  and  intelligible  expositions  of  the 
law  and  the  facts  of  the  case,  are  characteristic  of  the 
charges  and  judgments  from  the  bench. 

The  scale  of  remuneration  to  all  classes  of  the  legal  pro-    . 
fession  is  liberal,  without  being  absurdly  extravagant  or  pro- 
fuse.    The  younger  members,  who  have  any  practice  at  all 
as  attorneys,  readily  make  an  income  of  3000  dollars,  or  from 

in  Sa^-i'^^^^  ^  y^^^'  "^'"g  ^'°™  ^^^^  minimum  to  as  much  as 
10,000  dollars,  or  about  £2000  sterling  a  year.    The  smallest 

?nA  J  ^,^"''8*^'^  of  any  standing,  and  in  almost  any  cause,  is 
100  dollars,  or  about  £20.     Thw  tm^att^at  foo  tn  th"  »v,^»*  ^,o^ 


180 


BTATB   OF   NBW-VORK. 


tinguished  barrister  in  any  regular  cause  tried  in  the  citr 
courts  is  5000  dollars,  or  about  £1000.  But  when  a  special 
cause  of  importance  arises,  requiring  great  skill  and  consid- 
erable application,  especially  if  such  cause  has  to  be  tried  at 
a  distance  from  the  residence  of  the  barrister,  and  he  be  a 
person  of  the  first  eminence,  it  is  said  (and  one  of  the  profes- 
sion  was  my  informant)  that  as  large  a  sum  as  25,000  dol- 
lars,  or  £5000,  has  been  paid  ;  but  this  was  admitted  to  be 
a  very  rare  and  unusual  occurrence.  The  judges  have  fixed 
salaries,  varying  from  1600  dollars  for  the  youngest  to  3000 
dollars  for  the  oldest,  including  the  chancellor  and  the  chief 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  respectively. 

In  private  society,  the  legal  gentlemen  are  among  the 
most  mtelhgent  and  agreeable  of  companions.  Like  the 
lawyers  m  England,  however,  they  do  not  appear  to  mingle 
so  much  m  general  society  as  to  congregate  and  herd  to- 
gether with  the  members  of  their  own  profession,  and  es- 
pecially  to  delight  in  the  society  of  clubs.     I  had  the  pleas- 

♦Ton  I  M^"w  ^"^1 7  '^'T^'i  '^'''''  "^««ting«  of  this  descrip. 
tion,  held  alternately  at  the  houses  of  the  members  in  rotS- 

tion,  and  the  cordiality,  intelligence,  courtesy,  cheerfulness, 
and  kindness  which  seemed  to  prevail  made  them  some  of 
the  most  agreeable  evenings  I  had  ever  passed,  not  merely 
m  America,  but  m  any  part  of  the  world. 

The  medical  body  is  also  a  very  large  and  very  interest- 
ing  portion  of  the  society  of  New- York.     They  have  col- 
leges of  instruction,  halls  of  dissection,  dispensaries,  lectures, 
and  all  the  machinery  and  apparatus  of  medical  instruction 
m  great  abundance  and  perfection.     The  number  of  medica 

Tifi"!    i°f "  '"  ^^^  ""'^^  '^  ^^°"*  6^0-     The  conditions  to  be 
lulhlled  by  a  young  candidate  for  the  profession  are  the  fol- 
lowing :  He  must  serve  three  years  at  least  as  an  assistant 
to  some  licensed  medical  practitioner  of  the  state,  and  at- 
tend  at  least  two  courses  of  medical  lectures  under  some 
^nnT'?n«  r^^^^^^''     I^o'  this  he  will  have  to  pay  from 
300  to  500  dollars  for  the  three  years,  according  to  the  rank 
and  standmg  of  the  individual  under  whom  he  studies.     He 
IS  then  obliged  to  undergo  an  examination  before  competent 
examiners,  appointed  by  the  College  or  Faculty  of  Medi- 
cine,  and  IS  rarely  deemed  sufficiently  accomplished  to  pass 
at  the  first  time.     Some  are  successful  at  the  second  exam- 
mation,  after  an  interval  of  a  year,  and  the  additional  skill 
and  practice  obtained  by  them  in  that  period.     Many  more 
are  remanded,  and  pass  at  a  third,  and  some  only  at  a  fourth 
examination,  these  being  annual  onlv. 


MB01CAL  FACOLTV.— CMRor.  J8J 

On  passing,  the  license  of  the  college  to  Draot,»«  o.  - 
as  in  the  general  practitioner  in  London  and  nil  ofJ     S' 

is  one  of  expenditure  b^S  reeeipf  Frortl."'' '°  • "' 
however,  with  ordmarv  ability  undin'^,  .  *j"  <"'"'' 
condoot,  their  progrerislS.  "r  J^'S  TherotoTtf 

the  h,gha«  hr.£^o{Z:r%:i:iJ^'^^tl'^''^'^-  .^ 
is  obtained,  from  20,000  to  ai  om' J  n    ^    "^P"'""™ 

men  of  good  education,  and  have  the  ren„.«."„„  f  i  ^i^  "t 
attention  in  their  professional!  fel'Vey'^r'^t^r. 
class,  a  more  moral  and  relisiou,  hn,1v  „f  ^  .,.  '  "  " 
sons  of  the  same  professiorK^?d^„°i^e^" /eu",  ■""■ 

the  order  of  their  number  beTng  AJbyte?kn^ 
pahan,  56;  Baptist,  40;  MethodS  38  Tr'  ^"^'^S'^o. 
34  ;  Roman  CaLl/c,  25  ^F^^nS'o^liuf^e^^^^^ 
ra";ia,;,4"Tewf3:t'  ^-^™'4;  Ind:^;,  ^^^^^^^^^ 
these^vt'esof   Ls    .^'l^f  ^ '^i -P^rnumerarik '  F^r 
l«placesof  ;ir.tTl,'^.T"^^»«*'«"«.*here  are  about 


Jffi 


placesof  worshiD  inrnri^  r        """"^  ^'^^'^  "«  about 
,  i>,»„i.,J-!^°'^^'*'P'.^"  nearly  the  same  ratio  op  npnnnr»i«« 
^  ^..b,..„un  minsters  do  not  use  gowns  and  bands; a» 


t8» 


STATE   OK   NEW-YORK. 


m  Scotland.  The  Episcopalian  and  the  Duch  Reformed 
are  the  only  clergy  that  wear  robes ;  the  former,  the  surplice 
for  prayers,  and  the  black  stuff"  gown  for  the  pulpit,  as  in 
England ;  the  latter,  a  black  silk  gown,  with  cassock  and 
girdle  of  the  same  material. 

In  the  service  of  the  Episcopalian  Church,  the  ritual  and 
liturgy  are  nearly  the  same  as  in  the  Church  of  England, 
which  they  profess  to  follow  as  a  model.     The  few  altera- 
tions in  the  prayers  are  such  as  to  adapt  them  to  the  coun- 
try in  which  they  are  read,  substituting  in  the  prayers  for 
the  king  and  royal  family,  and  for  both  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment, the  names  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  and 
the  Houses  of  Congress.     Some  corrections  are  also  intro- 
duced in  the  style  and  composition,  and  some  judicious  cur- 
tailments of  the  frequent  repetitions  in  the  original  service. 
One  addition,  however,  is  made,  which  appeared  to  me  a 
great  improvement,  and  well  worthy  of  adoption  at  home, 
which  is  this :  after  the  reading  of  the  Ten  Commandments 
in  the  Coffimunion  Service,  at  the  close  of  the  whole,  the 
minister  reads  aloud  this  sentence :   "  Hear  also  what  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  saith  on  this  subject.     The 
first  and  greatest  commandment  is.  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart ;  and  the  second  is  like  unto  it, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.     On  these  two  hang 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

It  is  remarkable  that  neither  in  the  Episcopalian  churches, 
nor  any  of  the  others  in  this  city,  is  there  to  be  seen  a  pulpit 
pf  the  old  English  form  ;  nor  is  there  any  person  who  offi- 
ciates as  clerk,  either  to  read  the  responses,  to  say  Amen,  or 
to  give  out  the  psalms  or  hymns.     In  lieu  of  the  small  circu- 
lar  pulpit  used  in  England,  there  are  here  two  spacious  plat- 
forms,  on  one  of  which  the  minister  reads  the  prayers,  arid 
to  the  other  he  ascends  to  preach  the  sermon.     These  are 
each  well  furnished  with  the  requisite  cushions,  drapery,  and 
lights,  and  are  usually  much  more  agreeable  to  the  eye  than 
the  elevated  and  isolated  pulpit.     The  ear  of  the  worshipper 
is  never  offended  by  the  mangling  and  bad  reading  of  an  un- 
educated  and  vulgar  clerk,  as  it  is  in  half  the  churches  of 
England ;  and  it  would  be  a  great  improvement  to  have  all 
the  responses,  now  drawled  out  by  our  illiterate  clerks  at 
home,  read  by  young  aspirants  for  the  clergy,  either  while 
students  of  divinity  or  after  taking  orders,  acting  as  curates 
or  assistants  to  the  regular  minister ;  for  if  it  be  desirable  to 
have  one  part  of  the  liturgy,  psalms,  and  prayers  read|||- 
pressively,  and  in  a  dignified  and  ddvotional  tone  as  weiRs 


BUPEUIORITy   OF   THE   AMERICAN   CLERGY.  J 33 

Bpirit,  it  must  be  equally  desirable  to  have  the  alternate 

Z?h\^?k'''P^"'"5  r^?  ^"  **^^  ^^'"^  manner;  andth^ 
*>uld  best  be  secured  by  having  two  well-educated  reader* 
Histead  of  one  good  and  one  bad  one,  as  at  present  In 
America  the  congregation  perform  this  duty  without  a  lead" 
er,  and  the  absence  of  the  clerk  is  not  felt  \o  be  any  incon 
•     venience.  ^  uu.oa- 

The  choral  service,  both  vocal  and  instrumental,  is  uni- 
formly  superior  to  the  average  standard  of  England      The 

Th!ohn-  "^"'•y^^^'^^  «^««'  «»d  is  everywhere  well  played! 
The  choirs  we  judiciously  proportioned  for  the  proper  blend- 
ing  of  the  different  voices;  they  are  wcU  iraihed,  and  fre- 
quently  practised  in  rehearsals;  and  as  the  con^cation 
generally  joins,  though  in  eubdued  tones,  in  the  singini  this 
part  ot  the  servico  is  more  uniformly  well  performed  iu 
churches  and  chapels  of  every  denomination  here,  than  it  ia 
with  us.  '  *  "* 

The  arrangement  and  furniture  of  the  pews  are  more  ele- 
gant  and  more  comfortable  than  in  England  ;  ample  provis- 
ion  IS  made  for  securing  the  most  agreeable  temperaWe  in 
aU  kinds  of  weather;  and  the  attendance  is  more  numerous 
as  compared  with  the  whole  population,  than  in  any  coS 
of  Europe.  The  greatest  respect  and  decorum  is  manifested 
throughout  the  service  by  all  classes;  and  there  is  kss  of 

tran&Tewtr""^  ^°"^^'  ^"'  ««"^'^  -^«-^- 
As  a  bo^y  the  clergy  and  ministers  are  more  generally 
wel  educated,  and  more  uniformly  of  pure  morals  and  de^ 
vout  character,  than  in  England.  With  us  there  ^e  no 
doubt  individuals  of  much  more  extensive  and  profound 
learmng  than  are  to  be  found  in  this  comitry ;  and  amonS 
the  clergy  of  the  Church  of  England  for  soL'e  yearHast! 
and  among  the  dissenters  at  all  times,  there  has  bLn  a  high 
standard  of  morab  and  piety.     But,  taking  the  300  ministers 

tLllfZ  "T  '"  ^'^-^^f^'  ''  '"^y  b^  d°»bted  whether 
there  is  any  city  in  Great  Britain  that  could  furnish,  from 
an  equal  number  of  the  same  class,  so  large  an  amoint  of 
!!nr^  and  piety  as  exist  in  the  aggregate  of  the  religious 
teachers  of  this  city.     An  illiterate  or  an  immoral  man  could 
not  hold  his  place  among  them ;  and  both  the  eyes  of  their 
own  body,  as  well  as  those  of  the  whole  community,  are 
constantly  upon  them,  in  a  state  of  unremitting  watchfiuiess 
Ihe  support  of  the  churches  and  their  ministers  is  wholly 
on  the  voluntary  system ;  and,  as  far  as  I  could  learn,  after 
many  anxious  inquLries,  no  op.c  among  the  clergy  or  laity 

12  ^ 


184 


STATE   OP  NEW-YORK. 


Wished  it  to  be  otherwise.     The  Episcopalians  have  a  bishop 
in  each  state  of  the  Union,*  their  salaries  varying  from  5000 
to  10,000  dollars,  or  from  1000/.  to  2000/.  sterling.     TMb 
Rev.  Dr.  Onderdonk,  the  bishop  of  the  State  of  New- York, 
whose  diocese  is  as  large  as  that  of  six  English  bishoprics, 
receives  this  last-named  sum,  and  his  is  the  highest  ecclesi- 
astical salary  in  the  country.     But  his  duties  are  onerous, 
laborious,  and  expensive.     He  resides  in  the  city  during  the 
six  winter  rnonths,  and  preaches  once  or  twice  every  Sunday. 
The  other  six  months  of  summer  he  passes  in  travelling,  vis- 
itmg  the  clergy  of  hi$  diocese,  and  setting  in  order  whatever 
may  >eed  amendment.     He  is  a  gentleman  of  Dutch  family, 
as  his  name  indicates,  of  great  merit,  and  universally  re- 
spected, but  of  the  simplest  and  most  nnostentatious  manners. 
On  one  Sunday  afternoon  I  was  going  o-rer,  with  my  family, 
to  hear  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cutler  at  Brooklyn,  ahd  pass  the  even- 
ing with  some  friends  there.     The  ferry  is  crossed  here  by 
a  steamboat,  at  which  we  arrived  just  in  time  to  meet  the 
bishop,  who  had  walked  from  his  house  to  the  ferry  in  his 
Mack  gown,  round  hat,  bands,  and  a  Bible  under  his  arm. 
As  we  entered  the  boat,  he  offered  a  bank-note  of  a  dollar 
for  the  fare,  which  the  boatman  returned,  saying,  "  They 
never  took  toll  from  clergymen  who  were  going  on  duty  on 
the  Sabbath ;"  at  which  the  bishop  returned  the  money  into 
Iiis  purse,  and  said,  smilingly,  "  It  is  not  always  that  they 
are  so  careful  to  grant  us  the  benefit  of  clergy."     He  was 
^ing  to  preach  that  afternoon  at  a  church  in  Brooklyn,  and 
then  to  return  and  preach  at  New- York  in  the  evening.    On 
his  reaching  the  Brooklyn  shore,  a  horse  and  gig  was  wait- 
ing for  him  at  the  ferry;  and  with  the  most  unaffected  hu- 
mility he  got  into  it,  though  the  equipage  was  one  of  the 
shabbiest  I  had  yet  seen,  and  drove  on,  seated  by  the  black 
servant  who  came  for  him,  with  far  less  thought  of  state  and 
appearance  than  any  English  bishop. 

There  is  nothing,  perhaps,  that  strikes  the  stranger  from 
England  more  forcibly  than  the  easy  access  which  is  here 
obtained  to  personal  intercoiurse  with  the  highest  classes  of 
society.  The  President  of  the  United  States,  the  governors 
of  the  separate  states,  the  generals  of  the  army,  the  commo- 
don  of  the  navy,  the  judges  of  the  county,  the  senators, 
bishG^)s,  and  all  other  persons  filling  high  stations  in  the 
country,  are  not  hemmed  around  with  so  many  barriers  of 
etiquette  and  ceremony  as  to  make  it  a  matter  of  favour  to 
obtain  a  personal  interview  with  them.     The  sending  in  a 

•    Tn  tho   Qtmttt  nf  Man*  V/.>1>    «!.i-L   ■ -; ■ jj    >  .     .  .    .      .  ..  . 

.~  "~  "2 — ■.T~  ~'  •"•"- « *'"»(  rriucii  una  siutc  ucca  (UTiaca  lato  two  au)cei£s,  theie 
aw  BOW  two  buhopi.  ' 


THB  VOMTNTAHY   SYSTEM. 


135 


card  without  previons  appointment,  is  sufficient  to  ensure 
munediate  admittance  to  their  presence,  if  not  at  theTo! 
ment  engaged  ;  and  in  casual  meetings  like  the  present  nr 

cmty  against  the  great  inequalities  in  the  emoluments  of  th: 
clergy  at  home,  where  bishops  have  incomes  TlO  000/  a 
year  and  curates  must  live  on  100/.,  while  it  equ^y  Sn! 
ties  to  all  a  very  adequate  and  comfortable  p?ovisfon  No 
clergyman  or  minister  in  New- York  receives  less,  as  I  was  as! 

r    ite",T  '"^^  '""^'^  competent  and  accurate  au  horities 
than  1000  dollars  or  200/.  a  year ;  many  receive  300oTS 

year     Thir  \  ^VT  "^^'^  *^^"  "^^^^  ^""«^«  or  800/  a 

fs  Lt  btiih  r  1^°^'."^  f  f  "^  '^^^""^^  ^^  '^''  ■•  The  church 
Z.Jul  ''"'^j  °"  the  undertaking  and  guarantee  of  some  few 
wealthy  mdividuals  of  the  sect  for  whose  use  it  is  intendeT 
When  completed,  the  pews  are  all  sold  at  high  prices,  in  the 
order  of  choice,  to  the  families  desiring  to  worship  there    and 

XrtnJ  ?hf  '"  l'"^  P^"^'  "4  become^he  a'sXe 
all  fhJ  L  :  *5^,  P"![«hasers,  is  generally  sufficient  to  cover 
al  the  cost  of  the  building  and  furniture.  The  minister's 
salary  is  then  determined  by  the  vestry,  composSTf  the 
t^Z7  T"  °^  '^'  congregation,  and  the  pews  are  all  as! 
sessed,  at  a  certain  per  centage  on  their  value,  to  make  up 
the  annual  salary  fixed  on  for  the  minister,  which  he  there! 
lore  receives  as  a  permanent  income,  without  trouble,  anxi- 

«nl'  °J  .1^  ^'  ^T  '^^  ^^""^^  «^  '^^  treasurer,  and  without 
any  ot  those  unhappy  disputes  and  bickerings  so  fruitfully 
engendered  by  the  tithes,  annuity-taxes,  church-rates  3 
other  imposts  for  the  clergy  in  England. 

wT/.  ^♦u  ^^-^^^  •"  America,  and  that  it  does  not  work 
well  for  either  ministers  or  people,  must  speak  in  ignorance 
of  the  real  state  of  the  case,  or,  what  is  worse,  with  wilful 

,?nZr/r  ""^  '^^  ^'"'^-  ^"^  '^^y  ^ho  add  to  this  that 
7..A  ^°^""tary  system  there  is  no  guarantee  for  the 

Pnn.nv'"P^r*  T^  advancing  progress  of  religion,  must  be 
equally  guilty  of  great  ignorance  or  wilful  untruth,  because 
there  is  no  city  in  the  world  that  I  have  ever  visited  where 

whi!?!K^*""'"^?.°^  *^^  population  attend  public  worship, 
Where  that  worship  is  more  devoutly  entered  into  by  the 
peye  or  more  efficiently  conducted  by  their  teachers,  or 
^»vxe  uie  influence  of  morality  and  religion  is  more  power, 
luliy  exerted  over  the  great  mass  of  the  community. 


136 


STATE   OP  NEW-YORK. 


In  addition  to  the  large  amount  of  funds  thus  raised  hj 
the  population  of  this  city  for  the  support  of  religion  at 
home,  their  assistance  to  all  kinds  of  benevolent  societies  is 
miuiificent ;  for  by  their  voluntary  aid  do  they  almost  all 
subsist.  But,  far  beyond  the  immediate  sphere  of  their  own 
locality,  they  extend  their  benevolence  to  the  remotest  parts 
of  the  world.  At  the  last  anniversary  of  the  American  Tract 
Society,  held  in  the  City  of  New- York  in  April,  1837,  the 
large  sum  of  35,000  dollars  was  appropriated  to  the  print- 
ing and  distributing  of  tracts  in  different  foreign  languages 
abroad,  in  addition  to  the  great  expense  incurred  for  the 
support  of  missionary  establishments  in  various  remote  quar- 
ters of  the  earth,  and  their  Sunday-school  Union,  for  the 
education  of  the  children  of  the  poor  at  home.  And  as  it 
may  give  some  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  field  over  which 
their  labours  are  spread,  I  transcribe  an  abridgment  of  some 
of  the  principal  items  of  that  appropriation  from  their  official 
report. 

To  China,  for  the  use  of  American  missionaries,  Rev.  Mr.  Gutzlaif, 
Leang  Afa,  Keuh  Agang,  and  others,  and  to  aid  in  the  preparation  of 
Chinese  metal  type,  a  work  in  progress  both  by  Rev.  Mr.  Dyer  at  the 
East,  and  by  M.  Pauthier  and  others  in  Paris,  who  find  that  30,000  Chi- 
nese charactets,  not  obsolete,  may  be  printed  from  9000  types  separate 
and  combined ;  the  Chinese  being  the  written  language  of  probably  300 
millions  ;  Chinese  printing  conducted  without  interruption  at  Singapore, 
Malacca,  &c. ;  many  new  tracts  prepared ;  and  openings  in  the  mari- 
time provinces,  and  among  Chinese  residing  in  other  countries,  for  "  as 
many  books  as  can  be  printed"— 4000  dollars. 

To  Singapore  and  Indian  Archipelago,  probably  embracing  50  millions, 
Chinese,  Malay,  Javanese,  Bagis,  &c. ;  a  large  printing  establishment, 
with  type  in  various  languages,  and  a  stereotype  foundry,  being  in  ac- 
tive operation ;  Laang  Afa,  Keuh  Agang,  and  several  others,  employed 
at  Singapore  in  Chinese  printing ;  great  facilities  of  intercourse  with  all 
the  neighbouring  countries  and  the  ports  of  China ;  a  large  mission  hav- 
ing recently  been  sent  out  by  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  to  be  located 
at  present  ia  Java — 3000  dollars. 

To  Siam,  where  are  two  printing  establishments,  with  access  to  mill- 
ions of  Chinese,  Malays,  Peguans,  Cambojans,  Laos,  &c. ;  Bankok  alone 
containing  400,000  Chinese ;  most  of  the  adult  Siamese  being  able  to 
read ;  Rev.  I.  J.  Roberts,  from  a  new  missionary  society  at  the  West, 
having  recently  sailed  for  Siam,  to  labour  mainly  as  a  distributer— 9000 
dollars. 

For  the  Shans,  a  great  people  bordering  on  and  commingling  with  the 
inhabitants  of  Burmah,  Thibet,  and  China ;  the  American  Baptist  Board 
having  recently  established  a  mission  and  a  press  at  Assam,  with  Bur- 
man  and  Shan  type— 800  dollars. 

To  Burmah,  for  the  Burmese,  Talings,  and  Karens ;  among  whom  are 
seven  stations,  upward  of  30  missionaries ;  600  converts,  a  spirit  of  in- 
QUiry  awakened;  large  printing  establishments,  with  a  stereotype  foun- 
dry :  the  whole  Bible  printed,  and  34  tracts  to  which  the  society's  funds 
may  be  appUed;  two  presses  entirely  occupied  with  tracts  :  manv  na- 


VORKIGN   MISSIONS. 


137 


ror  jyort/um  India,  for  use  of  missionarips  of  Wp«fom  i?«-  •      »,• 

thisatVtiJ  « I  i^   ™  ?  *''*"■  '•?.  •*  subverted,"  says  a  missionary  at 
tnis  station,     I  believe  tracts  w  11  occudv  the  firs*  ulaws  as  the  n«»r., 
mental  cause"— looo  dollars.         ^^"Py  »ne  nrs,  piac^  as  the  instru- 

,^n^Z  f^  ^"''"Sf,^  13  millions  in  a  country  between  Orissa  and  Madras 
Cri»  *^T™*"*^;'  ^°^'*'  f«''  *  "^'^  ™«8ion  o(  American  Baptist  BoaSf- 
arge  portions  of  the  Bible,  Bunyan's  PUgrim'B  Progress.  SsevYral 

For  SouMcm  //jrfw,  for;^e  of  missionaries  of  American  Board  of  Com- 
^.nn  o"^''/"'  ''o'-e'gn Missions;  station  at  Madura,  among  the  Tarn" 

iSfcaoKK'^   ^^""'        °'^''  ''*'^°"'  *''°"'  '°  ''^  «'»"^ 
Far  the  Mahrahas,  «^here  are  presses,  with  a  stereotype  foundry  •  ona 
or  more  missioriaries  wholly  devoted  to  the  preparation  and  distrfbutS 
diuare  "^  "^  indispensable  auxiSwy-loSS 

For  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  3480  pages  of  Hawaiian  have  been 
preparexl;.  three  presses  issue  from  six  to  ten  mUlion  pages  annuauJ^ 
and  tbe  ^iissionaries  have  at  no  time  been  able  to  meet  the  immediate' 
pressing  demand  for  books— looo  dollars  immeaiate, 

CmTc^-S'ZS.  ''  '^P'"""^  "^«"''"  ''  ^^«  P'°'««'««t  Episcopal 
r£Z/^'''r^'"  "*  -^^'■*''''  "^^^  ■■«*»•"  ™"ch  of  the  simplicity  of  the 
s^rnWaS^rKXrf  ^  *°  ^«^«^^«  ^^-"-  boo^ks^m^Sj 

lishment,  wi  h  type  for  various  languages,  a  stereotypffoSX  and  nu" 
merous  publications  issued— 1500  dollars!  ^   lounary,  and  nu. 

fin^L?"'^?\^'''  *^®  "*^  "^  "'^^'0"  of  Western  Foreign  Missionarv 
Socie  y,  who  have  a  press  and  extensive  openings  for  distribution  eZ 
pecially  m  modern  Greek-1000  dollars.  aistriDution,  es. 

t,J'''  ^*«*'-  '^f  "^^  °^  mission  of  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  who 

ff  ^  'I  '••^^^  pages ;  have  a  harmony  of  the  Gospels  and  other  valu. 
able  works  m  preparation,  and  wide  openings  for  distribXn  New 
mission  recently  sailed  for  the  island  of  Crete-1500  dollars 

To  Constantinople,  chiefly  for  the  Armenians,  who  "  seem  to  be  wa 
king  up  en  masse,"  including  Jews  in  Turkey,  Greeks,  &c  l^oSo  dollar!" 
i-u-.£..  ?,,.  .j^G  01  iraet  incaus  m  oi.  x'ciersDurgh,  who  labour  for 


138 


STATE   OP  NEW-YORK. 


60  millions ;  have  issued  50  tracts  in  Russ,  Finnish,  Estonian,  Swedish, 
Mongolian,  &c.,  all  of  which  have  the  cordial  sanction  of  the  censor ; 
some  volumes  in  preparation.  Tracts  to  the  value  of  600  dollars  were 
sold  by  one  individual  in  one  extensive  tour ;  many  are  purchased  by 
the  nobility  for  distribution  ;  parcels  sent  to  friends  at  various  points 
throughout  the  empire,  with  many  evidences  of  the  Divine  blessing— 
3000  dollars. 

For  Hungary,  embracing  two  million  Protestants,  and  for  tracts  in 
Bohemian  and  Wendiah,  to  be  committed  to  Mr.  Samuel  Elsne  of  Berlin, 
and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Paterson,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Rev.  Dr.  Pat- 
erson — 300  doUara. 

Prussian  Tract  Society  at  Berlin,  for  the  Poles,  by  urgent  request  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Paterson,  n^any  of  whom  are  crying  for  help,  both  within  and 
beyond  the  limits  of  Prussinr— 300  dollars. 

Germany,  Lower  Saxony  Tract  Society,  Hamburg,  tracts  being  a 
prominent  medium  for  diffusing  <svangelical  truth ;  and  wide  doors  open, 
in  the  midst  of  opposition— 3W)  duiars. 

Hamburg,  for  Missionary  of  Amef^-an  Baptist  Board,  who  makes  ex- 
tensive tours  for  distribution,  and  a  cCKQorteur  who  is  devoting  himself 
to  the  work— 300  dollars. 

To  France,  embracing  thirty-two  millions.,  for  the  use  of  missionaries 
of  American  Baptist  Board — 600  dollars. 

For  South  Africa,  to  the  South  African  Femah  Tract  So  jn'ty  at  Cape 
Town,  in  connexion  with  Rev.  Dr.  Philip;  the  Klgrfro's  Progress  and 
six  American  Tracts  being  already  printed  in  ButcK,  with  many  active 
distributers.  Rev.  Dr.  Philip  says,  "  There  is  nothing  within  the  range 
of  human  means  that  we  more  need  than  money  to  aasis*  us  in  printing" 
— 500  dollars. 

To  the  Moravian  Brethren,  for  aid  at  their  respective  m^sion  stations, 
especially  in  the  West  Indies  and  Canada— 700  dollars. 

For  North  American  Indians,  for  missions  of  American  Bapti^  Board, 
especially  at  their  press  in  Shawanoe— 200  dollars. 

In  addition  to  the  funds  raised  for  these  extended  opera- 
tions, and  the  personal  labours  which  the  clergy  and  minis- 
ters undergo  in  carrying  them  out,  there  is  a  degree  of  zeal, 
energy,  and  untiring  activity  among  them  for  the  promo- 
tion of  benevolent  and  religious  objects,  which  is  deserving 
of  all  praise ;  it  may  indeed  be  doubted  whether  in  any 
country  in  the  world  there  is  so  much  of  purely  gratuitous 
and  disinterested  labour  devoted  to  the  temporal  and  spirit- 
ual interests  of  the  whole  community,  and  especially  the 
most  friendless  and  destitute  portions  of  it,  as  in  America, 
if  New- York  be  regarded  as  a  fair  specimen  of  the  Union, 
and  it  is  asserted  that  New-England  is  in  this  respect  still 
its  superior. 


COMMON   SCHOOLS. 


139 


CHAPTER  XI.  I 

M«gazine.-NewVork  Review,  brOr  Hawks -^^^ 

A8W8t8nt.-Model  worthy  of  im  tation  iD«nrf.n7  £!,^?"'''^''»'^''  Common-school 
Pic..ure..-Aichitecture  and  the  fine  Arts'-NewY„,k  pk  P«' """»,- Mr.  Cole'. 
-Aator  House.- Kou«e  of  Detention -Ri. ilH, Wit  p'.-  Churchea.-University.— 
Portico,  after  a  Temple  at  K-D^fec  ii  ?t.e  w?r'?"p?'^'f-S»'"^  «f  *• 
Striking  Eflect  of  the  Masaivenesa  of  the  whole  »' ^'evation  for  it.  SiU.- 

The  common  schools  of  New-York  are  objects  of  great 
mteres  to  those  who  feel  the  full  importance  of  the  valuTof 
general  education.  A  great  effort  has  been  lately  made  U> 
increase  the  number  and  improve  the  efficiency  ofThe  e 
schools,  not  merely  m  this  state,  but  throughout^the  who  e 
Union.     The   gentleman  who  has  taken  the  most  active 

I„i     i  V7'  ^^^  5'^  quahfieations  for  the  task  may  be 
judged  of  from  the  fact  of  his  filling  a  professorshi^f  the 
science  of  education  in  the  New- York  University,  and  his 
being  publicly  recommended  for  that  office  by  soSe  of  the 
most  eminently  learned  and  distinguished  mej  in  The  coin' 
try.     At  the  beginnmg  of  1836,  a  monthly  periodical  was 
commenced  by  him,  under   the  title  of  « The   Common 
School  Assistant;"  its  avowed  object  being  to  awake™ 
Tnt  '  ?'J-^^  ^'  'u  '^^  i"^P°^t^nce  of  education,  and  to  col- 
nrovrth    '^"!?  all  kinds  of  information  calculated  to  Im- 
prove  the  modes  of  teaching,  and  stimulate  the  public  To 
adopt  the  best  plans  for  the  extension  of  knowledge  een^ 
erally     This  was  first  published  at  Albany,  the  seafof  fhe 
Legiskture  of  this  state,  but  it  has  been  s^ince  remov/d  t' 
S"„      Thf  '^"  *>etter  central  point  of  general  commun^ 
cation.     The  paper  is  admirably  conducted :  it  is  full  of 
the  most  interesting  and  valuable  information ,'  its  pages  are 
hon<5ured  with  contributions  from  the  first  pens  in  America  • 

two  shniits"t'^"V'^  ^'^^P  '^^^  ^^fi^'y  cents,  oTabouJ 
two  shillings  Enghsh,  per  annum.  The  circulation  is  ac 
cordingly  immense,  approaching  50,000  monthly. 

During  my  stay  in  New- York,  a  public  meeting  of  thp 
friends  of  education  was  held  at  'the  Tabernacle   in  Brold! 
way,    for   the   purpose   of  forming   a   "  Common    Schoo 
Union,"  on  the  principle  of  the  Snr,d«y.«nh^^i  tT„°"_  „  °fj 
British  and  Foreign  *  School  Society^'  To  "effirSi^^h: 


140 


8TATB   OP   NEW-YORK. 


■  Hi 
% 


Bum  of  5000  dollars,  or  about  £1000  sterling,  was  required  • 
and  such  was  the  effect  of  the  appeals  made  at  this  meeting! 
that  the  whole  sum  was  raised  in  a  few  days.     This  Union 
18  now  m  full  operation,  with  an  office,  an  establishment  for 
correspondence,  and  all  the  necessary  elements  for  securing 
complete  efficiency.     It  has  already  awakened  the  spirit  of 
the  neighbouring  states ;  and  state  conventions  are  follow- 
ing  each  other,  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  to  consider 
ot  the  best  means  of  improving  the  modes  of  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  their  respective  districts.     I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  enjoy  much  of  the  society  of  Mr.  Taylor 
as  we  lived  under  the  same  roof;  and  from  his  conversa' 
tion,  and  the  perusal  of  his  journals  and  papers,  I  derived 
all  the  information  I  wished  respecting  the  statistics  of  edu- 
cation here,  though  I  relied  only  on  my  own  personal  ex- 
amination  of  the  schools  of  New- York  for  the  knowledge 
ot  their  actual  present  condition. 

oliiUS^   ^^''^.u^^  New.York   the   whole   population    is 
«J,174,0G0;  and  the  number  of  children  between  five  and  fif. 
teen  years  of  age,  taught  in  the  common  schools,  is  537,398 
or  about  one  in  four  of  the  whole  population.     The  number 
•   I'n  on°i  ^^^"'^^^  in  each  of  which  thdre  is  a  common  school. 
IS  XU,.{07 ;  and  the  annual  expenditure  on  these  is  1,235,256 
dollars.     The  amount  of  the  school-fund  belonging  to  the 
state  IS  1,917,494  dollars,  from  which  an  income  o7llO  000 
dollars  18  annually  distributed  among  the  common  schools, 
and  the  i^st  is  made  up  by  local  rates  and  individual  pav- 
ments.     This  statement  does  not  include  the  City  of  New- 
York,  which  alone  gives  gratuitous   education  to   14 105 

foofj^"  douS  yT""  "''°"'''  "  ™  '^'^•^  °^  -"'y 
In  my  examination  of  several  of  these  schools  in  the  city 
I  was  much  pleased  with  the  plan  and  arrangement  of  every 
department,  from  the  infant  school  to  the  more  advanced  • 
and  I  thought  the  teachers,  male  and  female,  of  a  hfgher  or! 
der  of  intellect  and  manners  than  are  usually  employed  in 
the  national  and  Lancasterian  Schools  in  England;  and  the 
proficiency  of  the  pupils,  in  general,  superior; 

In  all  these  common  schools,  whether  in  country  or  town 
the  pupils  pay  nothing  for  their  instruction.  They  are  open 
day  schools,  to  which  any  one  desiring  it  may  send  their 
^^rtfvT  4f^ly /°^  5^^^  education.  They  are  maintained, 
partly  by  the  school-fund  of  the  state,  partly  by  local  rates  of 
^wnships,  and  partly  by  municipal  grants  and  city  taxes. 
They  are  everywhere,  of  late,  improving,  and  nr«  iu^.^^ 

'-"  — J 


SCHOOLS   AND   C0LLKGK8. 


141 


sufficiently  numerous  to  educate  all  the  children  of  the  coun- 
try,  though  many  poor  families,  from  different  motives,  are 
unwilling  to  send  their  children  there :  some  because  they 
are  not  impressed  with  the  value  of  education,  and  some  be- 
cause they  wish  to  retain  the  services  of  their  children  for 
profitable  purposes.  The  effects  of  the  Common  School 
Union,  and  the  monthly  circulation  of  50,000  copies  of  its 
publication,  added  to  the  frequent  public  meetings,  lectures, 
and  travelling  agencies  in  motion,  will,  however,  gradually 
remove  all  existing  obstacles,  so  that  education  will  become 
more  and  more  general,  and  more  and  more  perfect  every 
year. 

In  addition  to  the  common  schools  of  the  city  and  the 
state,  there  are  a  great  number  of  excellent  boarding  schools 
for  both  sexes  in  New- York,  to  which  the  more  opulent 
families,  who  do  not  desire  a  free  education  for  their  chil- 
dren, send  them  to  be  taught.  It  is  believed  that  nearly 
10,000  young  -  arsons  of  both  sexes  are  under  this  kind  of 
education  in  New- York  alone  at  the  present  moment. 

The  colleges  for  professional  education  in  theology,  law, 
and  medicine  are  also  abundant ;  and  the  University  is  well 
furnished  with  competent  professors  in  almost  every  branch 
of  learning,  so  that  the  means  of  cheap  and  excellent  educa- 
tion are  within  the  reach  of  all  who  choose  to  avail  them- 
selves of  that  advantage. 


The  literature  of  New- York  is  but  ill  represented  by  its 
newspapers,  of  which  I  had  occasion  to  speak  before ;  and  1 


need  say  no  ^ 


iiiore  here  than  thut,  from  various  causes  and 


148 


■TATB   or   NEW-YORK. 


i'll 


for  various  reasoM,  they  are  almost  all  below  the  standard 
which  the  intellect  and  the  taste  of  the  community  would 

ZTih^  i"'^''""'  p'^'"^'!.^  't  *^"'^y  P^P«'«'  »»'«  American 
KiiJ  an!?h"'"*  Post,  the  first  conducted  by  Mr.  Charles 
King,  and  he  second  by  Mr.  Bryant,  the  American  poet, 
are  marked  by  the  greatest  attention  to  literary  subjects 
Among  the  weekly  papers,  the  Albion  and  the  Mirror  rank 
the  highest ;  the  former  a  political  paper,  devoted  chiefly  to 
*.ngl.sh  and  colonial  mterests,  and  much  read  by  the  British 
m  Canada  as  well  as  in  the  States;  and  the  latter  a  literary 
paper,  but  wanting  vigour  and  energy  in  thought  and  style, 
rhe  rehgious  newspapers  of  New- York  form  an  exception 
to  the  general  character  of  the  newspaper  press.  Thev  are 
conducted  with  ability,  are  strictly  moral  and  religious.^and! 
though  representing  different  sects  and  classes,  are  tolerant 

iTst  IhTrrPr'^'i-  1  ^^  ^'^^^'  *^«  Observer,' the  Ev^ge: 
list    the  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  the  Christian  In- 

and  lite  aivtr  a""' '"''"  ^''""'^  newspapers,  political 
Romin  P?^',—  ^^'"'^^  paper;  some  few  devoted  to 
»h«n  ^.^*!»°l'«/nte'-e8ts  ;  and  a  number  of  obscure  prints. 
Ippear  '  ^""^  ""^  ''""''""'  popularity,  and  then  dis.' 

Of  monthly  periodicals  there  are  two,  the  Knickerbocker 
edited  by  Mr.  Lewis  Gaylord  Clarke  and  theAmerican 
Monthly  Magazine,  edited  by  Mr.  Park  Benjamin  tTcv  are 
quite  on  a  par  of  excellence  with  the  beit  of  our  EnS 
magazines ;  have  more  of  the  serious  and  useful,  and  less  of 
the  frivolous  and  fleeting,  than  any  of  them ;  and  many  of 

coUrv  A  r  P  '"^'^  "°"1^  '''^'S'^'y  estimaten'any 
8tZp7*„n;f  T  ^^^'^^'  published  quarterly,  has  just  been 
started,  under  the  editorship  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ha^  .ks  of  thJ 
Episcopal  Church,  and  is  likely  to  be  very  popular'  it 
conducted  with  great  ability,  b^yo.a  donb[;^bm  th;re  .  a 
fierceness  of  conservative  wrath,  and  a  bitterness  of  po lit  ca^ 

outTvfaTn;'  '!?•  "'^•'"'  "'^^^  "-^  --"^  To  be'^oted 
ou  as  yials  of  indignation  against  Democracy  in  general- 
but  while  they  fall  harmless  on  the  heads  of  uL^  fntended 
to  be  the  chief  objects  of  its  attack  here    they  wilexdte 

tri  I  toTh^r  *'"'  '""''l  ^"  ^^^  P°^'^'-^-  «^  -the  cou^ 
tries,  to  whatever  party  they  may  belong;  for  it  is  diffion  t 

IdSHfEubi?  ""^  ''Tr  ^^-  ^^^  --'»-  '-V  d 

admirers  of  Republicanism,  which  all  the  Whi- editors  here 
acknowledge  themselves  to  be,  raising  an  outcr^  aLinst 
Democracy  as  the  greatest  of  evils,     kr  mw      ?S 

.  —  —      ......... 


"COMWON   BCHOOL   UNIOK." 


14a 


the  cheap  httle  paper  of  the  "  Common  School  Union"  of 
far  more  value  and  importance  to  the  formation  of  "iennb- 
he  m.nd  and  public  morals  of  the  rising  generaUon  o/^tt 
United  States,  than  all  the  other  newspapers,  maKaJines 
and  reviews  put  together.  These  last  aim  mo  e  at^amSse: 
t^rpln  "  "'^''•"^*'.«"  5  and  nearly  all  are  more  deep?/  1 
terested  m  promotmg  the  triumph  of  a  party  than  in  seek- 
jng  out  truth,  or  when  discovered,  in  defending  it  at  a 
hazards  and  proclaiming  it  far  and  near.     While!  therefore 

t^roversiL''"'""'""'''  P"-*^  P°^'*^^«'  «"^  acrimonirs  conl 
roversies  occupy  a  prominent  portion  of  the  pages  of  the 

larger  papers  and  publications  adverted  to,  with  a^eat  ad! 
Z   t'h'  T.rK"^?"y  "^  ^*'^™'  °^  *he  friiolous  afd  vitia 
freighted  with  the  rich  ores  of  the  most  useful  and  impor- 
tant   nformation  that  children  can  possibly  possess,  anTbest 
ada^pted  to  fit  them  for  the  due  dis^chargJSf  their' dulsas 

a  s?n2''n?.^l'  ^'f  !k°^  '^'  '"^J'"*«  ^'^^^^^  «^  i"  detail  in 
f  if  i?fu    ""'■^^'  °^  ^^'^  P'^P^'"-      1-  News  of  the  dav    in 

K?  {•  t  .  ;  ^^'^"'^^tion,  embracing  facts  and  opinions  of 
the  highest  value  on  this  important  subject.  3.  Social  17. 
als:  essays  on  duties  and  obligations  in  life,  and  reasonTon 
which  they  are  founded.  4.  Science  uf  iovernm^t  „„ 
folding  all  the  great  principles  of  te  policy  in  the  d  ffer- 
ent  forms  of  monarchies,  aristocracies,  and  republ  cs,  wUh 
brief  comments  on  each.  5.  Duties  of  public  officewdl- 
fined  according  to  the  Constitution,  with  the  advant.  ^es  and 
disadvantages  of  particular  appointments,  and  deficiencTes 
yet  requinng  to  be  supplied.     6.  Domestic  economy,  em! 

meToVa'f  "^-^  "'  '^  ^---'W,  and  the  best  m Jiag^. 
mem  of  a  family  in  , -very  department.  7.  Political  econo- 
my  discussion  and  elucidation  of  the  questions,  What 
makes  things  cheap  ?  and  what  makes  them  dear  ?  What 
Jabour  IS  productive  ?  and  what  is  unproductive  ?     What 

reflate  W  1  ""T'^  '  "^^^K"'  '^'  ^^^«  '^^^  should 
Iv^niu  fl?  ]  """^  '°  °"-  ^'  Agriculture,  containing  eve- 
ry  ne^^  tact  and  process  connected  with  this  important  branch 

Jir*  kT  ^'  .^e^han'cs,  the  science  and  practice  of  all 

that  belongs  to  the  labours  of  artisans  in  every  branch  of 
manufacture  10.  Practical  chymistry,  in  so  far  as't  is  ap. 
plicable  to  the  various  processes  of  every-day  business  in  oV- 
cixiurjr  uxc,  -,»xm  oecasionai  descriptions  of  new  and  impor- 


144 


STATE   OF   MEW-YORK. 


tant  discoveries.  11.  Natural  philosophy,  in  its  most  com- 
prehensive sense ;  but,  like  all  the  others,  explained  in  the 
most  familiar  terms,  and  illustrated  by  facts  and  the  results 
of  experiments. 

Such  is  an  epitome  of  the  contents  of  a  single  number  of 
one  of  these  interesting  sheets ;  and  the  result  is,  that  it  is 
perhaps  the  only  newspaper  in  the  world  of  which  persons 
of  pure  taste  could  read  every  line,  from  beginning  to  end, 
without  weariness  or  displeasure ;  for  there  is  no  space  oc- 
cupied by  advertisements ;  no  penny>a-line  paragraphs ;  no 
births,  deaths,  marriages,  prices  of  stocks,  or  any  other  kind 
of  information  suited  only  for  particular  classes.  It  is  all 
good,  all  useful,  all  interesting ;  and  I  can  conceive  no  great- 
er benefit  conferred  on  a  conununity  than  the  introduction 
and  extensive  circulation  of  such  a  paper  as  this.  The  sin- 
cerity of  this  opinion  may  be  tested  by  the  fact  that  I  became 
a  subscriber  for  200  copies  of  the  paper  while  in  New- York, 
which  were  sent  to  England  by  the  post,  addresed  to  such 
members  of  both  houses  of  Parliament,  and  private  friends 
of  mine  throughout  the  country,  as  I  thought  most  likely  to 
approve  such  a  publication  ;  urging  them,  by  the  best  argu- 
ments I  could  use,  to  do  their  utmost  to  increase  and  multi- 
ply such  papers  in  every  county  and  city  of  Great  Britain. 

One  of  the  greatest  obstacles  which  at  present  impede  the 
free  course  of  literature,  and  retard  its  improvement  in  Amer-t 
-ica,  is  the  absurd  legislative  enactment  by  which  all  importe(^ 
books,  with  few  and  unimportant  exceptions,  are  subjected 
to  heavy  duties,  amounting  to  from  thirty  to  fifty  per  cent., 
according  to  the  size  and  style  of  the  work,  as  the  duty  is 
not  estimated  by  the  price  or  value  of  the  book,  but  by  their 
weight  avoirdupois,  the  impost  by  the  tariff  being  thirty 
cents  per  pound.      The  consequence  of   this  prohibitory 
duty  is,  that  very  few  of  the  best  English  books  are  import- 
ed into  the  country ;  their  original  high  price,  from  our  own 
equally  absurd  duties  upon  paper,  with  the  additional  price 
which  this  impost  occasions,  rendering  it  unsafe  for  book- 
sellers to  import  English  works  at  their  own  risk;  and,  there- 
fore, hundreds  of  our  very  best  productions  are  never  seen  on 
the  west  of  the  Atlantic.     Most  of  the  books  imported  are 
those  of  a  transient,  but,  at  the  same  time,  a  popular  inter- 
est ;  and  these  are  not  imported  for  sale  in  their  original 
shape,  but  for  the  purpose  of  reprinting,  for  which  a  single 
copy  is  enough.     The  protection  of  English  copyright  not 
extending  to  America,  all  our  popular  reviews  and  maga- 
zines are  here  reprinted,  including  the  Edinburgh,  Quarter- 


WTBEATDBE   OF  THE   AMERICANS. 


1^5 


ly,  London,  Westnjinster,  and  British  and  Foreign  Reviews 
Blackwood's,  Bentley's,  Tait's,  the  Metropolita^and  othS 
magazines;  and  as  the  publisher  here  ha^  nothng  to  pay 
for  the  contributions  or  articles,  the  heaviest  item  in  the  Eu^ 
ropean  cost,  he  reprints  them  at  the  mere  charge  of  nrinT 
mg  and  paper,  and  sells  them  at  a  large  profit^he  £ 
wick  Papers,  Mr.  Bulwer's  novels,  and^every  other  work' 
of  mere  entertainment,  are  thus  reprinted,  and  sold  for  one 
half,  and  sometimes  for  one  fourth,  their  English  price    Zd 
thus  an  extensive  sale  is  secured.     The  people  havTng  but 
httle  leisure,  every  one  being  engaged  in  some  way  of  bu- 
smess  or  other,  and  few  books  of  solid  instructio7or  use- 
ful  learning  being  presented  to  them,  while  a  host  of  iLht 
and  frivolous  works  are  amply  offered  to  their  choice    the 
A'r^Ih^  ^"  ^^'^  '^'  ^"^^  °^  '^^  community    ndulge 
iav      tU.p  "^7Py7l*^"  '''''''''>  «»d  the  novels  of  the 
«  /nVr        f  iu"'*^^^  ""^  ^^"^S  the  occasional  occupation  of 
a  portion  of  the  time  spared  from  severer  studies,  form  the 

mS.'"""*!  °^  '^'''  .'"^^^"&'  ^"'^  *h«  '««"It  is 'just  what 
might  have  been  anticipated;  first,  that  the  reading  of  CTa- 
ver  and  more  important  works,  in  their  complete  stite,  even 
Where  these  are  attainable,  which  is  but  rwely,  is  thought 
oo  great  a  labour  for  any  but  professors  and  heads  of  col- 
leges  to  undertake  ;  secondly,  that  a  vitiated  appetite  for 
the  stimulatmg  and  absorbing  is  created  and  fed,  becoming 

?onH  "^  /^r^P^'l^  '^^'  ''  ^«"  ^«"«h  no  other  kind  of 
food ;  and,  thnrdly  that  the  newspapers  and  reviews  give 
such  party  views  of  the  topics  on  which  they  treat,  and^he 
books  they  profess  to  analyze,  that  few  who  con&iTtheir 
reading  to  these  sources  have  any  accurate  conceptions  of 
the  true  merits  of  either.  Thus  the  most  erro„eo^ls  ideas 
are  engendered  and  propagated  respecting  men  and  things 
which  strengthen  into  prejudices,  and  take  such  deep  ro^[ 
as  to  defy  all  logic,  reason,  and  experience.  ^ 

The  first  step  to  the  amendment  of  this  condition  of  pub- 
J^tejn  literature  would  be  to  repeal  aU  duties  on  im- 
ported  books,  m  whatever  language  ^or  on  whatever  sX 
ject,  the  next,  to  enact  a  mutual  and  reciprocal  law  for 
od'Tn'^tf'^f^  protection  of  copyright  for  a  limited  peri- 
od,  and  then  to  let  the  intercommunication  of  thought  be- 
tween  nation  and  nation  be  as  free  as  the  air.*     Thfre  are 

doIs^^urSS?  Ku7  S  SS  Sr?tS"ln«'?r^  "'  Boston,,  work  which 


146 


BTATE   OP  NEW-TORK. 


some  hopes  that  these  steps  may  soon  be  taken,  and  a  great- 
er good  could  scarcely  be  accompUshed  for  both  countries 
than  this. 

In  the  fine  arts  it  were  unreasonable  to  expect  that  the 
Americans  should  have  made  much  progress  ;  considering, 
first,  the  infancy  of  their  country  as  an  independent  nation; 
and,  next,  the  almost  universal  absence  of  leisure  in  any  ex- 
tensive class.     Notwithstanding  this,  there  are  already  indi- 
cations that  the  arts  are  relished  and  enjoyed  by  many,  and 
that  they  will,  erelong,  be  successfully  cultivated  by  more. 
Of  music  It  IS  remarked  that  the  Americans  are  great  ad- 
mirers, though  it  is  very  unusual  to  meet  with  any  lady  or 
gentleman  who  sings  or  plays  in  a  manner  that  would  be 
caUed  "  well"  m  England  ;  and  it  is  certain  that  they  have 
not  yet  produced  a  single  individual  of  their  nation  who 
has  enjoyed  any  reputation  as  a  public  singer,  instrumental 
performer,  or  composer  of  music  in  any  form.     Neverthe- 
less, in  the  simple  execution  of  sacred  music  in  the  choirs 
of  public  worship,  there  is  an  accuracy  and  a  sweetness  of 
harmony  which  is  very  striking  to  the  ear  of  a  stranger: 
and  even  m  the  oratorios  that  are  now  and  then  got  up,  the 
choruses  are  weU  sustained  by  American  voices.    But  to 
the  higher  branches  of  the  art  they  have  never  reached. 
Their  patronage,  however,  of  foreign  singers  is  er.tremelv 
liberal.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood,  but  especially  the  latter,  were 
greeted  with  large  audiences  throughout  the  Union ;  and 
Madame  Caradon  Allan  has  still  more  recently  been  at- 
tended, in  all  the  large  cities,  with  overflowing  numbers, 
and  honoured,  most  deservedly,  with  universal  admiration. 
In  paintmg  some  progress  has  been  made.     The  number 
of  American   gentlemen   of  fortune  who  have  travelled 
through  Europe,  and  brought  back  with  them  fine  pictures 
of  the  ancient  masters  for  their  private  collections,  is  con- 
siderable ;  and  every  fresh  accession  to  the  number  and  va- 
riety of  such  pictures  serves  to  familiarize  those  who  see 
them  with  the  best  models,  and  thus  to  form  a  correct  taste. 

aw,  bat  e*«i  the  example  of  the  Spanish  monarchs  in  the  fifteenth  centurv  for  both 
oternth^tXffi.r  "^'^  •'"'^  °"  '"^  in.port.tionTS^°£JSJ 

furnwh  a  useful  hint  to  legislators  of  the  ni:  .teenth  century^  '•"'""°"'  '"'"=•'  ^^* 
-,q^n  .ITT?!"  ^"•e"'."^- 4,  tit  4,  leg.  22.  The  preamble  of  this  statute  is  expres*^ 
ed  m  the  following  enlightened  terras :  "  Considerando  los  Reyes  de  glor^  fnKT 
quanto  era  provecKoso  y  honroso,  que  a  estos  sua  reynos  se  truxeswn Tbroi^e  ot«. 


AMERICAN   PAINTINGS. 


147 


Of  native  American  painiars  there  are  now  several  rising* 
into  reputation.  One  of  these,  Mr.  Cole,  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure  to  meet  in  New- York  ;  he  is  not  more  than  thirty  years 
of  age,  yet  he  has  ahready  attained  to  an  excellence  that 
would  ^ve  him  a  very  high  rank  in  England.  The  two 
first  of  his  pictures  that  I  saw  were  landscape  compositions 
"  Morning"  and  "  Evening,"  painted  for  Mr.  Van  Rensse' 
laer,  the  patroon  of  Albany,  at  a  thousand  dollars  each ; 
and  for  beauty  of  composition,  harmony  of  parts,  accuracy 
of  drawing,  and  force  of  effect,  I  have  never  seen  any  mod- 
ern pictures  that  surpassed  them. 

His  greatest  work,  however,  is  a  series  of  five  painting, 
now  in  the  possession  of  a  wealthy  citizen  of  New- York, 
Mr.  Reed,  who  has  a  very  interesting  gallery,  which  he 
opens  to  aii  persons  properly  introduced,  on  Thursday  in 
each  week,  and  to  whom  we  had  the  pleasure  of  being  pre- 
sented by  Miss  Sedgwick,  the  authoress.  These  pictures 
are  intended  to  r^r^-sent  the  Course  of  Empires;  and4he 
divisions  are  thw       <  cacterized: 

The  first  exhi  >i ;  lie  savage  state,  in  which  a  noble  com- 
position of  mountain,  bay,  and  forest  is  exhibited  in  all  the 
wildness  of  primeval  disorder.  The  few  figures  that  are 
seen  are  hunters  occupied  in  the  chase.  Nothing  ca"  **-> 
ceed  the  truth  to  nature  of  this  beautiful  picture. 

The  second,  though  not  so  grand,  is  more  beautiful.    It 
represents  the  pastoral  condition  of  mankind :  the  plough 
is  in  use,  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  shepherds  are 
tending  their  flocks;-  a  village  is  built  on  the  shore  of  the 
bay ;  boats  are  constructing  on  the  beach,  and  some  are  in 
motion  on  the  water ;  while  a  Druidical  temple,  with  altars 
of  sacrifice,  crowns  the  summit  of  one  of  the  hills.    The 
verdure  is  more  rich,  and  less  encumbered  with  weeds,  than 
in  the  former  picture.     The  trees  are  more  open,  and  in  the 
space  between  them,  on  the  lawn  and  in  the  shadows,  a 
rustic  party  are  enjoying  the  dance  to  the  shepherd's  reed. 
The  tranquillity  of  the  sky,  the  clearness  of  the  atmosphere, 
and  the  brilliancy  of  the  tints,  all  harmonize  with  the  repre- 
sentation of  innocence  and  happiness,  and  make  it  delight- 
ful to  gaze  on  these  associated  objects  for  a  great  length 
of  time. 

The  third  picture  of  the  series  is  a  representation  of  the 
meridian  glory  of  a  great  empire,  in  the  very  zenith  of  its 
prosperity  and  fame ;  and  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  a 
more  gorgeous  picture  than  this.     The  bay,  seen  in  its  wild 

and  savnopft  atata  in  tha  fi«o«-  r^f  *Uc  ^^-: ,j  .•-  *!_. ^-. 

_j_ .1,  ^J5^.  iiu,i  ^i    j,|jfc   aciica,  auu  III   lilu   pUiSlO- 


M8 


STATE   OF  NEW-YORK. 


ral  condition  in  the  second,  is  here  lined  on  each  side  with 
a  noble  city,  adorned  with  the  most  splendid  architecture, 
in  palaces,  temples,  bridges,  aqueducts,  and  fountains.     A 
vast  and  crowded  procession  is  passing  over  the  bridge  that 
connects  these  two  divisions  of  the  city,  accompanying  a 
hero,  who  is  drawn  1.1  an  elevated  car  by  elephants,  and  at- 
tended by  squadrons  of  horse  and  foot  as  he  passes  be- 
neath a  triumphal  arch,  on  which  incense  is  burning,  and 
Irom  whence  banners  and  arn-orial  ensigns  float.     Count- 
less  myriads  of  human  beings  throng  every  part  of  the  edi- 
fices, pediments,  galleries,  and  roofs.     The  sea  is  covered 
with  galleys  of  the  most  beautiful  forms  and  richest  decora- 
tions; and  everything  indicates  the  triumph  of  art  and  the 
zenith  of  civilization. 

The  fourth  picture  introduces  the  elements  of  destruction 
and  decay :  a  storm  is  raging  on  the  sea,  and  consigning  to 
wreck  the  numerous  ships  and  boats  that  before  were  seen 
riding  at  fthchor  in  safety,  or  floating  in  gallant  trim  and 
gay  security.  The  horrors  of  war  are  depicted  with  all  the 
force  that  the  most  poetical  imagination  could  give  to  it  A 
battle  rages  in  the  city.  The  bridge,  so  recently  the  scene 
ol  the  triumphal  procession,  is  now  the  seat  of  carnage 
havoc,  and  slaughter.  Every  variety  of  attitude  and  of 
weapon,  every  form  of  ferocity  and  vengeance,  are  depicted 
with  terror-thrilling  truth ;  and  fire,  tempest,  and  murder 
rage  with  unbridled  fury  all  around. 

The  last  picture  shows  the  same  beautiful  bay  in  all  the 
solitude  of  ruin  and  desolation.     The  fragments  that  remain 
ol  the  vast  and  gorgeous  city,  like  the  ruins  of  Thebes,  of 
ralmyra,  of  Athens,  and  of  Rome,  form  a  melancholy  skel- 
eton of  the  glorious  figure  which  they  each  exhibited  when 
m  perfection.     The  single  solitary  column,  of  vast  propor^ 
tions,  gray  in  aspect,  worn  in  surface,  overgrown  with  ivy 
and  mess,  rising  from  the  ruined  bridge  on  which  the  tri- 
umphal procession  and  the  battle-scene  were  previously  de- 
picted, is  one  of  the  most  impressive  objects  that  can  be 
seen  upon  canvass ;  while  the  surrounding  fragments  of  no- 
ble edifices  crumbling  into  dust,  the  second  wilderness  of 
nature  restored,  in  the  tangled  thicket  and  entwined  ver- 
dure of  the  soil,  and  the  pale  light  of  the  moon  shed  over 
the  whole,  are  all  calculated  to  produce  a  train  of  melan- 
choly feelings  in  any  beholder  of  the  least  degree  of  sensi- 
buity.  ° 

On  myself,  perhaps,  the  effect  of  this  beautiful  series  of 
pictures,  representing  the  Course  of  Empires,  was  stronger 


HOUSE   OF   DETENTION. 


149 


than  It  might  have  been  on  many  others,  from  its  rekindling 
in  my  bosom  the  feelings  I  had  so  powerfiiUy  experienced 
when  standmg  amid  the  ruins  of  ancient  grandeur  at  Alex 
andrea,  Memphis,  and  Thebes,  at  Tyre,  Sidon,  and  Jeiusa- 
lem,  and  at  Nmeveh,  Babylon,  and  Persepolis ;  the  course  of 
these  great  cities  and  empires  having  been  exactly  that  which 
was  here  so  beautifully  and  so  pathetically  portrayed ;  and 
this  feehng  was  still  farther  strengthened,  perhaps,  bv  the 
apprehension  that  the  same  fate  might  probably  be  matu- 
ring  m  the  womb  of  time  for  the  great  cities  and  nations 
that  now  rule  the  earth. 

In  the  architecture  of  New- York  a  great  improvement  of 
taste  IS  visible.     The  older  buildings  of  the  town  are  rude 
in  design,  mean  m  materials,  and  wretched  in  execution  : 
but  every  successive  period  of  twenty  years  exhibits  a  manil 
lest  advance  towards  a  better  state  of  things.     The  more 
modern  churches  are  in  a  chaste  Grecian  style,  some  of  the 
i^oric,  and  some  of  the  Ionic  order.    The  University  opposite 
Washington  Square  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the  Gofhic ;  and 
the  great  hotel  of  Astor  House  has  all  the  massiveness  sim- 
plicity,  and  chasteness  of  design  adapted  to  such  an  edifice. 
Une  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the  public  buildings  of 
fZ7Z^  l^?T  °^  »«t^"ti°"'  «r  BrideweU,  somefmes 
S  S  BSway'."'^^'  "  Centre-street,  not  far  from  the 


crimirlirSf  ^^.  P^rVaVd%'ir^°"  °'  '^^^^^^^ 
--   ..laij  ana  atiauhud  to  the  same  building 


150 


STATE    OF   NEW-YORK. 


are  all  the  requisite  conveniences  for  the  business  of  the  city 
magistrates,  and  the  criminal  courts  held  by  them.  Thjs 
edifice  is  built  in  the  Egyptian  style  of  architecture ;  and 
though  it  has  many  defects,  yet,  as  a  whole,  it  is  very  im- 
posing. The  front  and  portico,  which  covers  a  facade  of 
about  100  feet,  is  striking  from  its  novelty.  The  columns, 
which  are  modelled  after  some  of  the  pillars  in  the  temple  of 
Philoe,  are  well  sculptured,  and  produce  a  very  solemn  and 
stately  effect.  The  whole  edifice,  however,  wants  eleva- 
tion, and  would  have  looked  to  much  greater  advantage  if 
it  had  been  raised  ten  or  twelve  feet  above  the  ground. 
The  high  interior  walls  of  the  prison-department  appearing 
over  the  lower  and  outer  walls  of  the  temple  model,  by 
which  it  is  surrounded,  is  a  violation  of  propriety  and  good 
taste  ;  and  the  small  space  allowed  for  the  steps  in  front  of 
the  portico,  with  the  steepness  of  their  angle  of  ascent,  are 
also  great  deformities.  Notwithstanding  these  defects,  how- 
ever, the  raassiver*ess  of  the  style,  added  to  its  novelty,  when 
compared  with  surrounding  edifices,  will  always  cause  it  to 
be  a  very  remarkable  building. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Peculiarities  in  the  Manners  and  Customs  of  New- York.— Visite  between  Residents 
and  Strangers.— Carriages,  Servaiits,  Liveries,  &c.— Want  of  Lamps,  Numbers  of 
Houses.— Naming  of  Streets,  Bell-hangers  and  Locksmiths.— Song  of  Chimney- 
sweeps in  their  Rounds.— Excellent  Mode  of  observing  Newyear's  Day.— Love  of 
Quaintness  and  Singularity  of  Expression.- Examples  in  Announcements  and  edito- 
rial Paragraphs.— Visit  to  Newark  with  Mr.  Webster.- Instances  of  Wit,  Cheerful- 
ness, and  Humour.— Anecdote  of  Mr.  Webster  and  coloured  People.— Memorial  of 
coloured  People  against  mixed  Races.— Boarding-house  Lif«!,  its  Advantages  and  Dis- 
advantages.— Peculiarity  of  Expression,  Phrases,  &c 

Among  the  peculiarities  of  New- York,  and  traits  of  man- 
ners not  common  to  other  places,  the  following  may  deserve 
mention.  It  is  usual  here,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  country, 
for  the  residents  to  call  first  upon  the  stranger  who  arrives ; 
and  this  visit  is  expected  to  be  returned  before  an  invitation 
to  the  house  takes  place.  It  would,  of  course,  greatly  facil- 
itate  the  performance  of  the  visit  if  the  resident  who  makes 
the  call  or  leaves  his  card  were  to  place  his  address  on  it, 
so  as  to  let  the  stranger  know  where  he  might  call ;  but,  out 
of  more  than  200  cards  that  were  left  for  us  by  persons  call- 
ing, there  were  not  more  than  ten  on  which  the  address  or 


MORNING   CALLS. — SERVANTS. 


151 


place  of  residence  was  added  to  the  name.     To  every  one 
to  whom  I  mentioned  this  defect  it  was  admitted  to  be  a 
source  of  great  inconvenience ;  but  the  excuse  was,  that  it 
was  not  the  custom  in  New- York  to  put  the  residence  on  the 
cards,  and  many  valuable  hours  are  thus  lost  by  the  conse- 
quent  uncertamty  of  this,  and  the  inquiries  to  which  it  leads 
since  the  Durectory  confines  its  information  chiefly  to  places 
of  business.     The  hours  of  morning  visiting  are  earlier  here 
than  in  England ;  from  eleven  till  two  is  the  most  usual  pe- 
nod,  as  many  families  dine  at  three,  and  few  later  than  four 
or  hve.     An  excellent  custom,  worthy  of  all  imitation,  pre- 
vails  here,  which  is  for  ladies  who  may  be  at  home  When 
caUed  on,  but  not  prepared  or  disposed  to  see  company,  to 
leave  word  with  the  servant  that   'they  are  engaged,"  in- 
stead  of  saying,  as  in  England,  «  not  at  home ;"  and  as  this 
answer  IS  given  without  their  knowing  who  the  parties  are 
that  call,  and  to  all  without  distinction,  no  offence  can  be 
justly  taken  at  it.     A  great  improvement  might  be  made  on 
this,  however,  and  a  great  deal  of  time  saved  that  is  novr 
lost  to  both  parties  by  calls  made  on  persons  who  are  either 
not  at  home,  or,  being  at  home,  are  engaged,  namely,  that 
ladies  and  gentlemen  should,  if  they  received  morning  visits 
at  all,  have  one  or  more  fixed  days  in  the  week  on  which 
they  would  be  at  home  within  cerwin  prescribed  hours,  and 
have  these  stated  in  a  corner  of  their  cards,  so  that  visiters 
might  know  when  to  call  witb  a  certainty  of  finding  the  per- 
son  of  whom  they  were  in  search.     For  the  want  of  some 
such  arrangement  as  this,  many  valuable  hours  are  lost  ev- 
ery  day  in  unsuccessful  calls  on  persons  who  are  really  out 
and  the  evil  seems  to  be  on  the  increase.  ' 

In  the  equipages  and  dresses  of  the  servants,  male  and 
female,  there  is  much  greater  plainness  here  than  in  Eng- 
land.     The  domestics  are  mostly  black  or  coloured  people  • 
and  the  greatest  number  of  the  coachmen  and  footmen  are 
of  the  same  race.     With  these  there  is  no  difficulty  in  get- 
ting them  tP  wear  a  laced  hat,  and  an  approach  towards 
something  like  livery  in  their  dress ;  but  with  a  white  coach- 
inan  or  footman  this  would  be  impossible,  such  is  their  aver- 
sion to  wear  any  badge  of  servitude.     This  arises,  no  doubt, 
from  the  fact  that  in  the  early  history  of  America  nearly  all 
the  doinestic  servants  were  slaves.     In  the  Southern  States 
this  IS  still  the  case  ;  and  even  in  the  Northern,  where  slavery 
no  longer  exists,  the  prejudice  against  the  coloured  races  is 
as  strong  as  ever;  so  that  while  the  blacks  chiefly  fill  the 

places  OT  nompoiio  qarirrmta    +i-- u-i--      r  .•  ■  •'  .,. 

J- c »erranis,  ifiu  wmiua  oi  ims  couuiry  will 


m 


8TATE  OF  NEW-YORK. 


always  look  on  servitude  as  a  degradation,  and  not  suffer 
the  term  of  "  servant"  to  be  applied  to  them,  nor  call  any 
man  "  master,"  because  these  terms  are  only  known  to  them 
as  designating  owner  and  slave. 

A  curious  anecdote  was  related  to  me  by  a  person  who 
witnessed  the  fact.  An  English  minister  happened  not  long 
since  to  be  in  New- York  on  his  way  to  "Washington,  and 
behind  his  carriage  there  were  two  footmen  dressed  in  liv- 
ery. Their  appearance  first  excited  the  attention,  and  then 
gradually  increased  the  numbers  of  the  crowd,  till  at  length 
shouts  and  hurras  were  set  up  by  the  boys,  who  cried  out, 
"  Hurra  for  the  Englishmen  !  hurra  for  the  Englishmen ! 
It  takes  two  Englishmen  to  make  one  nigger!"  meaning 
that  two  English  footmen  were  thought  necessary  to  do  the 
duty  which  they  had  been  always  accustomed  to  see  one 
negro  perform. 

A  gre«it  defect  in  the  municipal  arrangement  is  the  want 
of  sufficient  light  in  the  streets  by  night.  The  lamps  are  so 
far  apart,  and  so  scantily  supplied  with  gas,  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  distinguish  names  or  numbers  on  the  doors  from  the 
carriages,  or  even  on  foot,  without  ascending  the  steps  to 
examine ;  and  as  nb  uniform  plan  seems  to  be  laid  down 
for  the  order  in  which  the  numbering  of  the  houses  shall  be 
made,  the  difficulties  and  delays  are  vexatious  to  the  most 
patient.  A  very  simple  rerriody  would  remove  it  all,  which 
would  be  to  have  the  numbeis  placed  on  the  glass  of  the 
lamps,  corresponding  to  that  of  the  doors  nearest  to  them, 
which  could  be  seen  by  all  in  l^assing;  an  arrangement 
which  in  the  best  lighted  cities  might  be  worthy  of  adop- 
tion, but  in  badly  lighted  oniss  would  be  of  the  greatest 
utility. 

In  naming  any  particular  streets,  either  in  writing  or  in 
conversation,  it  is  usual  to  drop  the  word  street  altogether, 
and  to  give  the  address  of  the  person  as  ".54  Pine"  instead 
of  54  Pine-street,  and  to  say  "  corner  of  Wall  and  Pearl,"  or 
"corner  of  Spruce  and  Cedar,"  or  "Broadway  and  Fulton," 
leaving  "  street"  to  be  inferred  in  each  case  as  a  matter  of 
course. 

The  public  markets  in  New- York  are  large,  open,  airy, 
and  well  supplied  with  everything  requisite  for  the  table. 
Meat,  poultry,  fish,  vegetables,  fruits,  are  all  sold  in  these 
open  markets,  of  which  Fulton  is  one  of  the  principal  ones. 
There  is  an  entire  absence  here  of  the  butchers',  poulterers', 
and  fishmongers'  shops  so  common  in  London ;  and  the  ca- 
terers from  the  hotels,  boarding-houses,  and  private  dwell- 


NEWYKAR'b   day   in   NEW-YORK.  153 

ings  are  all  obliged  to  go  very  early  to  market,  generally  at 
^  daylight,  to  secure  a  good  choice ;  but  at  that  hour  thev  al- 
ways find  an  abundant  supply.  •' 

In  New- York,  as  in  London,  there  are  chimney-sweepers 
m  great  numbers ;  but,  instead  of  the  shrill  cry  of  "  sweep 
sweep,"  from  tiny  little  voices  as  in  England,  the  men  who 
walk  the  streets  here  have  a  peculiar  song  or  tune  without 
words,  which  they  sing,  always  agreeably,  and  sometimes 
melodiously,  so  as  to  waken  ideas  of  cheerfulness  and  con- 
tent, mstead  of  the  painful  associations  inseparable  from  the 
piercing  cry  of  the  climbing-boy  at  home. 

Locksmiths  and  bell-hangers  are  a  class  of  workmen  that 
also  go  their  rounds,  and  call  at  houses  to  know  if  there  is 
anything  to  do  in  their  art  or  profession.     They  have  no  sig- 
nal or  cry  that  I  could  discover,  but  are  known  by  the  coils 
of  bell-wire  carried  over  their  shoulders,  and  bunches  of 
keys  earned  m  their  hands ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that, 
in  consequence  of  their  periodical  calls,  bells  are  put  in  or-; 
der  and  locks  repaired  more  frequently  than  they  would  be 
It  these  artisans  remained  at  home  until  they  were  sent  for 
An  engraver  of  brass  plates  for  doors  improved  upon  this 
Idea,  and  got  into  an  excellent  business  by  the  followini? 
plan.     Instead  of  losing  his  time  by  going  round  to  solicit 
orders,  he  noted  in  his  walks  the   houses  that  had  brass 
plates  on  them,  with  the  name  of  the  resident,  especially 
those  that  were  badly  done,  as  well  as  the  houses  where  no 
plates  existed ;  and,  adapting  his  style  of  size  and  character 
m  the  letters  and  plate  to  the  doorway  which  needed  it,  he 
engraved  the  requisite  name  without  an  order,  took  it  to  the 
house,  saw  the  occupier,  told  him  he  did  it  by  way  of  ex- 
perunent  or  speculation,  and  generally  so  pleased  the  party 
that  he  had  his  plate  fixed  on  the  door  before  he  left,  though 
without  this  step,  years  might  have  passed  away  before  the 
person  would  have  thought  of  ordering  one. 

Anibng  the  peculiarities  in  the  customs  of  New- York 
none  18  more  worthy  of  imitation  than  the  manner  in  which 
Its  inhabitants  observe  the  first  day  of  the  new  year      The 
custom  IS  derived  from  the  old  Dutch  settlers  who  first  found- 
ed the  city  and  is  thus  observed.     The  day  is  made  a  com- 
plete  holyday,  and  the  stores  and  shops  are  almost  as  gen- 
eraUy  c  osed  as  on  the  Sunday.     All  the  ladies  of  the  family 
rise  earli  dress  for  the  day,  and  immediately  after  break- 
last  repaff  to  the  drawing-room,  to  receive  the  visits  of  their 
male  friends.     Not  a  lady  moves  out,  either  for  business  or 
pleasure,  health  or  exerf»is*»  •  a"'^  i*  i"  ♦»•"  — !-  -?o--  --  ->-- 


IM 


BTATB   or  NEW-YORK. 


year,  perhaps,  in  which  no  lady  is  seen  out,  either  in  car- 
riage or  on  foot,  for  none  but «'  friendless  ladies"  could  be 
spared  from  home.  As  early  as  nine  o'clock  the  visits  of 
the  gentlemen  commence ;  and  as  these  are  all  dressed  in 
their  best,  the  streets  and  squares  present  n  most  animated 
appearance,  by  groups  of  friends  ascending  and  descending 
the  steps  of  the  private  houses,  while  carriages  are  waiting 
at  the  different  points  for  the  conveyance  of  those  who  re- 
quire this  assistance,  though  the  greater  number  of  the  young 
gentlemen  perform  their  visits  on  foot. 

The  Newyear's  day  of  1838  happened  to  be  a  day  of  the 
finest  possible  weather :  a  sharp,  but  not  a  (old  air,  a  bright 
sun,  and  a  perfect  calm ;  and  as  it  is  expected  of  foreigners 
that  they  who  approve  of  the  custom  should  adopt  it  with 
their  particular  friends,  I  took  a  carriage  for  thf  day,  though, 
in  consequence  of  the  increased  demand,  this  was  only  to  be 
had  at  about  five  times  the  ordinary  charge  ;  and,  taking  my 
son  with  me,  while  Mrs.  Buckingham  remained  at  home 
with  the  ladies  of  the  house  in  which  we  lived,  to  receive 
the  visits  of  the  gentlemen  to  whom  we  had  been  introduced, 
I  made  the  circuit  of  Brooklyn  and  New- York,  in  each  of 
which  we  had  some  agreeable  acquaintances,  and  between 
ten  and  five  o'clock  we  called  on  fifty-two  families,  and 
drove  over  about  ten  miles  of  ground.     We  met  in  every 
house  with  a  most  cordial  reception ;  the  ladies  put  forth  all 
their  attractions,  were  well  dressed,  affable,  cheerful,  and 
communicative.     In  an  adjoining  room  refreshments  were 
provided,  of  which  some  of  the  gentlemen  partook  ;  but  as 
it  is  thought  important  by  those  who  have  a  very  extensive 
curcle  of  acquaintance  that  they  should  visit  them  all  in  the 
course  of  the  day — we  heard  of  some  young  men  who  had 
nearly  a  hundred  on  their  list — the  great  majority  were  only 
able  to  shake  hands,  wish  health  and  the  joys  of  the  season 
to  then:  fair  entertainers,  and  then  retire  to  pursue  their 
course.     Our  number  being  more  limited,  it  afforded  us  the 
opportunity  of  remaining  some  little  time  at  each  house,  so 
that  we  saw  as  much  of  the  gentlemen  as  of  the  ladies,  and 
met  a  large  number  of  acquaintances  among  those  who  were 
visiters  like  ourselves.     The  clergy  and  ministers  of  religion 
also  remain  at  home,  and  receive  the  visits  of  the  members 
of  their  congregations ;  and  as  we  waited  on  several  of  these, 
we  found  all  the  Episcopal  clergy  dressed  in  full  canonicals, 
and  receiving  their  guests  with  great  courtesy  and  hfcpitahty. 
The  beneficial  effects  of  this  custom  are  numerous  and 
important.     It  is  a  day  saved  from  the  toils  and  cares  of 


QUAINTNBS8   OF    BXPRBagioK.  J  55 

busineM,  and  given  to  innocent  and  social  pleasure  •  and 
this,  m  such  a  busy  and  overwrought  commnnitl  ;      ' 
advantage.   It  enables  those  whoTaleTn7"S;rd  E 
vsits  to  bring  up  their  arrears  and  begin  a  n?w  accomt! 
and  ,t  furnishes  those  who  have  been  growing  cold  bvab' 
sence,  or  indifferent  from  some  slight  or  embrvo  onnrr^l   ?' 
renew  their  intercourse  without  confession  oTSoutoff^Le" 
It  serves  to  increase  the  respect  for  women  hv  tho  ? 
thus  paid  to  female  influence',  JlilZ;:^Vr^^^^:^^ 
the  Gospel  and  their  congregations  into  happy  and  a^ea. 
ble  communication.     It  has  all  these  advan     4s  and  m  ml 
more,  without  a  single  evil  that  I  could  discove'r    fo"  thou^J 
some  m,ght  thmk  it  would  have  too  democratTc'a  tendency 
by  brmgmg  persons  of  different  ranks  too  nearly  onVlevJl 
yet,  since  no  gentleman  ever  presumes  to  visit^a  famit  on 

.    Among  the  most  striking  peculiarities  of  American  ta«.tP 
IS  a  love  of  quaintness  and  singularity  in  the^exXsfons' 
Many  ludicrous  instances  of  thfs  will  Lrest  the  aSion  of 

^et^'Tuutll^fr  T^'^^  ^"  ""^  intercou^wr^! 
cieiy ,  but  this  is  not  confined  to  conversation  in  orivate  nir 

me'n;,"  T"^'  ^^V"  '^'''  P^'"*«d  documen  ^announce: 
ments,  and  para^^aphs  prepared  for  the  press.     The  foHow 

mg  are  two  only  out  of  some  twenty  Jr  th  rty  announcT 

ments  that  met  my  eye  in  the  public  papers  of  the  Z?n* 

serted  among  the  advertisements.     The  first  relaterto; 

rsr;t"a"f:St°'f''"*°'^.°"^^"'  -^-^  ceirbUt i'aL! 

theallfwT-  f  '^"f^'^"* ;  a»d  it  carries  one  back  to 

•!u  i   T  ^^edrick  Knickerbocker  and  Rip  Van  Winkll 

saiLt^i^mfn!  r^  T'^'^'  *^^^"S  '^^  "^™«  «f  «n  Indian 
^a^^y^^hTaS^^^^^^^^^^^^^  P--^"^  ^'^  Man 

«n  "^^REAT  AND  IMPORTANT  NEWS. 

takes  immed  llV  Ster  tKoSf^  his  annual  nap,  which  he 
peepers  in  the  si^tS  hour**o&naD  AftS!.^"^'''^  *'P^"«'*  *•'« 
stretching  for  three  ho  IrranH  L/       P"    '^  ,  '  ru''*'""?.  gap>ng,  and 

Of  BologSa  sauslges  drink'n^  fS^^ 

seventein  pipes  of  tobacrn  T  „?      "?  *'^°^•*  ^°''^'  *»d  smoking 

baUon.       ^^  ''*^°'  "®  ^»«  «««»  to  nod,  which  signifies  apprJ- 


im 


STATX   OF   NBW-YORK. 


II  ?^°7  ''  ****  Arch-chuncellor,  in  virtue  of  my  authority,  commiind 
an  the  hege  krouts  in  creation  to  appear  at  Krout  Von  Nowland's,  un- 
Wilted,  to  partake  of  the  annual  feast,  on  Tuesday,  January  16lh,  1838. 
"  By  order, 

"Nicholas  Rulif  Pompbrnacli, 

"  Arch-counsellor. 

"  PiTKR  HarMANUB  KLOTTIRLOrr, 

"  For  ticket,  apply  to  ^'^^  *'^' 

"  Krout  Von  Davis,  45  Pine- street. 
"  Krout  Delavan,  480  Broadway. 
"  Krout  Mesorole,  19  Nassau-street. 
"  Krout  Foote,  204  Front-street. 
"  Krout  Bendemugle,  170  Division-street. 
"  Krout  Cruttenden,  City  Hotel. 
"  Krout  Nowland,  Prospect  Hall." 

"  TAMMANY  SOCIETY,  OR  COLUMBIAN  ORDER. 
"  Brothers.— A  regular  meeting  of  the  Institution  will  be  held  in  the 
Council  Chamber  of  the  Great  Wigwam,  on  Monday  evening,  Feb.  6th, 
at  half  an  hour  after  the  setting  of  the  sun.    General  and  punctual  at- 
tendance is  particularly  desired. 

"  By  order  of  the  Grand  Sachem, 
■    ,  „    .  _  "  John  J.  Bidiint,  Secretary. 

Manhattan,  Season  of  Snows,  Second  Moon,  Year  of  Discovery 
346,  of  Independence  63,  and  of  the  Institution  the  40th." 

The  editorial  witticisms  of  this  kind  are  without  end  ; 
and  the  straining  after  effect  in  oddities  and  quaintness,  to 
serve  the  purpose  of  the  moment,  seems  to  have  engendered 
a  permanent  relish  for  such  extravagances,  as  readers  ap- 
pear to  enjoy  them  very  heartily  ;  and,  so  long  as  this  is 
the  case,  there  will  be  no  want  of  writers  to  furnish  that  de- 
scription of  gratification.  Tiie  following  are  three  speci- 
mens out  of  many : 

"  A  Western  editor  has  placed  over  his  marriages  a  cut  representing 
a  large  trap,  sprung,  with  this  motto,  '  The  trap  down,  another  fool 
caught. 

"  Query.— -Has  not  the  editor  been  caught  in  a  marriage  trap  himself 
which,  hke  the  clinched  teeth  of  the  steel  trap,  has  pinched  him  most 
confoundedly  1  There  is  another  kind  of  trap,  which  is  usually  placed 
under  a  gallows,  with  a  candidate  for  immortality,  with  a  rope  round  his 
neck,  upon  it,  which  the  galled  editor  might  employ,  and  which  he  would 
find  very  pertinent  to  his  purpose.  Hang  it,  man,  why  don't  you  just 
try  It  once  ?" 

"A  CATASTROPHE. 

"  The  Boston  Post  says  that  an  editor  down  east,  in  speaking  of  his 
own  merits,  thus  concludes  : 

"  I'ni  a  real  catastrophe— a  small  creation ;  Mount  Vesuvius  at  the 
top,  with  red-hot  lava  po-'ring  out  of  the  crater,  and  routing  nations ; 
my  fists  are  rocky  mouniains,  arms  Whig  liberty-poles,  with  iron 
springs.  Every  step  I  take  is  an  earthquake,  every  blow  I  strike 
is  a  clap  of  thunder,  and  every  breath  I  breathe  is  a  tornado ;  my  dis- 
position is  Dupont's  best,  and  goes  off  at  a  flash ;  when  I  blast,  there'll 


AORBEABLB   PUBLIC    DIWKER,  l^j 

be^nothwg  left  but  a  hole  three  feet  In  cir«umferenc«.  «nd  bo  end  to  If 


•'  A  STRONG  APPEAL  TO  SUBSCRIBERS, 
tor  in  North  Carolina  calls  loudly  on  his  sub 


!f 


"  An  editor  in  North  Carolina  calls  loudlv  on  hia  «iha/> Jim.»  . 
.their  due.  a.  his  wife  ha,  furnisheS ^U J^VrSTSs^t^U? 

I  had  an  exceUent  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  full  ex- 
Mbition  of  thistaate  for  overstrained  wit  ani  extravnsr^nt 
expression  in  a  pleasant  excursir  .  made  soon  after  mv  arri- 
v^  in  New- York,  in  which  I  wo.  invited  to  acco^pZ  M 

anTolTflr'fi'  '^'  ''^^"'^'n"  «^"^^^^  «^  Massachu^seus 
and  one  of  the  first  orators  at  the  day,  i"      . :   t  to  Newark 

fl  town  in  NewJersey,  about  ten  mil^  ,^,^  ^,  w-Yo^Mn 

the  other  side  of  the  Hudson.      Mr.  C  ieb  •     .hin^  an 

other  Northern  member  of  Con^es«,    v,  .  oi'  a  .  parlV,^ 

well  as  Mr  Pennington,  the  governor  ele       f  I.ewTer^v 

Mr  Peet,  the  superintendent  of  the  Deaf  aa.  Dumb  Asylum  • 

and  the  editors  of  two  daily  papers  in  the  city,  Mr.  Charles' 

King  of  the  American,  and  Colonel  Stone,  of  the  Co^er. 

cial  Advertiser.     Our  journey  was  performed  by  steamboat 

and  railroad  ;  the  day  was  remarkably  favourable,  anTeJ! 

ery  one  was  in  high  spirits.     The  morning  was  dcoted  to 

the    delivery  of  political  addresses  by  Mr.  Webster   and 

Mr.  Cushing,  to  the  inhabitants  of  NeVark,  on  the  present 

uspect  of  the  times ;  and,  after  a  processi'on  through  the 

town,  we  a^l  sat  down  to  a  public  dinner,  under  theV^^ 

dency  of  Mr.  Frehnghuysen,  the  mayor.  •    - 

«t  wiTk  r^  °^  *^^  ™^'"*'*  ^"'^  ^^"i««t  of  public  dinneri 
at  which  I  was  ever  present.  Every  speech  was  a  series  of 
epigrams  and  jokes,  and  brought  up  some  of  the  parties  al- 
uded  to,  who  repaid  the  debt  with  full  interest  in  rapid  vol- 
leys  of  the  sharpest  repartees.  Though  there  was  scarcely 
a  doaen  bottles  of  wine  drank  among  200  persons— the 
worthy  mayor  who  presided  being  a  member  of  the  Tern- 
perance  Focietv,  and,  like  myself,  drinking  only  water,  and 

wrJnM*      ,/^-  ''^"'P^"^  ^°^"«  '^^  same-yet  the  table 
was  kept  hteraUy  in  a  roar  by  the  continual  excitement  of 

who  s^olr         ""^"'^ent,  furnished  by  almost  every  one 

Kln?f  T  'T"^  ""^T  ^^'^  °'*'^«*''^'  ^e  ^«"^»d  the  railroad 
«iroL''i"P  -^  ""^.""^  ^^^  ^^'«  ^"^"g  "P^t  and  stretched 

Newark  and  Jersey  City,  there  was  no  alternative  but  that 

OI    our   Wnitinor   txrhciva   ,,.^ ^M  .        .  ... 

o  «^  "c  Tvcic  umu  a  new  train  could  be 

14 


158 


8TATB   or  MKW-TORK. 


i  i  i ! 


brought  from  the  point  to  which  we  were  bound  ae  faic  as 
the  spot  where  the  impediment  occurred,  and  take  us  on- 
ward to  our  destination.  In  England,  such  a  detention  as 
this  to  a  numerous  party  would  have  created  great  dissatis- 
faction,  which  would  have  shown  itself  in  every  variety  of 
mode,  according  to  the  temperament  of  the  different  indi- 
viduals. Here,  on  the  contrary,  everybody  made  the  best  of 
the  mishap,  cheerfully  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  remedy ; 
and  draing  the  interval,  which  occupied  nearly  two  hours, 
we  all  sat  in  the  omnibus  car  in  which  we  had  set  out,  to 
the  number  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  at  least,  while  various 
individuals  in  succession  sang  droll  songs,  and  told  still 
droller  stories,  with  the  utmost  glee,  so  that  not  a  symptom 
of  uneasmess  was  evinced  by  bny  one  of  the  party.  In. 
deed,  I  never  witnessed  such  unifosm  good  temper  and  for- 
bijurance  among  a  similar  number  of  people  on  any  occa- 
sion within  my  recollection. 

Among  the  anecdotes  of  the  day,  the  following  was  re- 
lated by  Mr.  Gushing,  the  representative  from  Massachu- 
setts, and  it  was  told  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Webster  him- 
self, who  laughed  as  heartily  as  any  one  at  its  recital.  Mr. 
Wd>Bter,  though  a  handsome  man,  with  fine,  large,  express- 
ive eyes,  beautiful  teeth,  and  a  commanding  and  intellectual 
countenance,  has  a  remarkably  brown  complexion,  as  much 
BO  as  a  native  of  the  south  of  Italy  or  Spain.  During  the 
dinner,  and  while  Mr.  Webster  was  speaking,  the  servants 
of  the  hotel  at  which  we  dined  had  the  fullest  opportunity 
of  noticing  the  peculiarity  of  his  complexion,  and  it  evi- 
dently made  an  impression  on  them ;  for,  when  Mr.  Cushing 
went  into  the  kitchen  after  dinner  to  light  his  cigar,  the  col 
oured  servants  were  surrounding  the  fire,  with  their  backs 
towards  him,  and,  not  perceiving  his  approach,  they  contin- 
ued their  conversation,  till  one  of  them,  addiessing  herself 
to  ber  fellow-servant,  exclaimed,  "Well,  Betsey,  we  col- 
oured people  may  begin  to  hold  up  our  heads  now;  for  they 
Bay  that  Mr.  Webster  is  to  be  the  next  president,  and  surely 
•he'll  be  in  our  favour,  for  he's  as  dark  as  any  of  us,  and  is  a 
coloured  meii  himself."  This  was  followed  by  a  loud  laugh, 
•which  rung  through  tb  kitchen,  till  the  discovery  of  Mr. 
Cushing's  approach  to  the  fire  rather  disconcerted  the  par- 
ties, and  stifled  the  farther  discussion  of  the  subject. 

It  is  worthy  of  remai  k,  that  there  are  some  of  the  colour- 
ed people  who  are  not  very  anxious  for  the  amalgamation 
of  the  races,  which  seems  to  he  so  much  dreaded  by  the 

whites  ^thoimh    th>'a    HupoH    mnot    rotVia.    V  " 


tiinxji 


KXORBITANT  RENTS.— BOARDINO.  If^ 

real,  since  all  the  varieties  of  mulattocs,  oi  different  shade* 
the  naturd  fruits  of  such  amalgamation,  are  fir  mSe  ^ 
merous  m  the  North  than  the  bUicka),  for  a  memoriaTwas^e- 
cen%  presented  to  the  State  Legislature  of  Massachmetfa 
on  this  sub  ect,  of  which  the  foUowJng  is  a  codTi^U  th! 
introductory  paragraph.  ^  ^^*  ^*'*  ^^ 

"MIXED  MARRIAGES. 

"  The  following  memorial,  signed  by  a  number  nf  nA>.»..  ^r     t 
^^fJ^rS^  *e  other  day'inihe  MaUSetls'Le^SJSfre f  ""^^ 

"To  the  Honourable  Senate  and  House  of  ReDtesentativpS^  nn.- 
dersHfned,  people  of  colour  in  the  city^SiTCeZli^''^^C 
deep  reffret  and  mortification  that  Charlotte  F  ThomD«>n  t^  «f^* 
S'al'of  r  f  ^''^'^'^  ""^'J-  ^'^onSyZ  hon^urbrb^^of^S 
SSSona  of  onllr *"  vn °'^"^'''''  """"?«?  ^'"^^^  whitelpeopte  aS 
persona  of  colonr.  Now  your  memorialists,  regarding  this  as  a  vPrS 
wise  and  salutary  law.  cafculated  to  preserve  S.  purity  of  o«?     ? 

h»f^J'^»'"^  *••«  """*  '^^""8  f«>™  »  ™ixed7eKJresSuUy' 
but  earnestly,  remonstrate  and  protest  against  a  repeal  of  the  iSt  refer' 
red  to ;  and,  as  m  duty  bound,  will  ever  pray."  "**' 

^  The  peculiarity  of  living  in  boarding-houses  instead  of 
keeping  house  or  occupying  private  lodgings,  is  one  of  the 
most  distmguishmg  features  of  society  in  New-York     There 
are  many  causes  that  have  had  their  share  in  contributine 
to  this.     One,  no  doubt,  is  the  too  large  scale  on  whicS 
houses  are  usually  built,  and  the  difficulty  of  finding  a  smaU 
one  adapted  to  tiie^purse  of  a  family  with  moderate  means! 
Ihe  house  m  which  we  resided,  next  to  Bunker's  Hotel  37 
Broadway,  was  one  which  would  be  considered  dear  in  knv 
part  of  London  at  £300  a  year,  and  might  be  had  in  a 
country  town  for  £100  at  the  utmost.     The  present  rent 
paid  by  its  tenant  was  3500  dollars  or  £700  a  year-  and 
^frtSi'TT  ^u^*^  *^  exorbitant  price  of  5000  dollars  or 
ilUUt)  after  the  expiration  of  the  year  just  about  to  close, 
in  addition  to  the  exorbitant  rents,  the  difficulty  of  procu- 
"?^u*,     .    ^P""^  Sood  domestic  servants  is  another  cause 
Which  leads  to  the  living  in  boarding-houses  ;  and  a  third 
no  doubt,  18  the  frequent  change  of  occupation  and  habita- 
tion, which  IS  common  to  all  classes  in  America. 

The  advantages  derived  from  this  mode  of  life  to  unmar- 
ried men  are  unquestionable,  relieving  them  from  the  ne- 
cessity  of  great  expenditure  and  care  ;  but  the  disadvanta- 
ges are  also  great;  for  the  habit  of  finding  all  that  thev 
need  without  much  cost  or  trouble,  and  the  enjoyment  of 

S.Tl'T'^,\''^?^\'  ^^''^"^  ^"  "^^«««ity  of  marriage; 
and,  like  the  clubs  m  London,  boarding-houses  in  America 
J .u^Ti  IV,  iutin  uiiachinems  or  to  contemplate  a 


STATE   OF  NEW-rORK. 

more  permanent  settlement.     To  the  young  n>arried  couple 
it  is  aLso  a  convenience,  for  the  reasons  already  alleged ;  but 
its  disadvantage  is  much  greater  to  them  in  the  end ;  for, 
when   they  become   parents,  and  separate   establishments 
are  more  necessary,  the  wife  has  acquired  no  experience  in 
housekeeping,  and  both  her  husband  and  herself  are  averse 
to  the  trouble,  care,  and  anxiety  of  a  separate  house  and 
separate  servants,  besides  finding  it  less  exciting  and  agree- 
able to  sit  down  to  breakfast  and  dine  alone,  and  pass  the 
eveninjEf  >vithout  companions,  to  which  they  were  accustom- 
ed while  living  at  the  boarding-house.     Many  accordingly 
seek  refuge  from  this  married  solitude  by  going  out  to  par- 
ties, paying  morning  visits,  laying  themselves  out  for  invita- 
tions, and  giving  expensive  routs  and  balls  themselves  at 
great  cost  and  great  inconvenience,  while  the  progressive 
vitiation  of  the  taste  which  this  brings,  fed  with  stimulants 
and  excitement,  never  allows  them,  perhaps,  to  return  with 
pleasure  to  the  sober  and  wholesome  tranquillity  of  a  well- 
ordered  domestic  home. 

The  boarding-house  life  was  to  us,  however,  extremely 
disagreeable  from  the  beginning,  and  we  did  not  get  at  all 
more  reconciled  to  it  at  the  end.     The  early  hour  at  which 
all  are  rung  out  of  bed  by  the  sound  of  a  great  bell,  as  if  at 
school ;  the  rapidity  with  which  persons  rush  to  the  table 
exactly  at  eight  o'clock ;  the  certainty  that  if  you  are  five 
minutes  after  this,  the  breakfast  will  be  half  consumed,  and 
what  remains  will  be  cold  and  unpalatable ;  the  haste  with 
which  everything  is  despatched,  and  the  air  of  indifference 
with  which  parties  rise  up  and  go  away  to  business  when 
thiey  have  done;   the  earliness  of  the  dinner  hour,  three 
o'clock,  with  a  repetition  of  the  same  hurry  and  bustle  over 
again ;   the  unskilfulness  and  indifference  of  the  servants, 
inostly  coloured  people;  the  utter  want  of  sympathy  or  con- 
sideration on  the  part  of  the  boarding-house  keepers,  as  to 
whether  their  inmates  are  provided  with  all  they  need  or 
not ;  the  absence  of  the  many  little  nameless  conveniences 
with  which  English  houses  are  furnished;    the  imperfect 
hanging  of  the  bells,  and  the  difficulty  of  getting  them  an- 
swered ;  and  the  preference  of  showy  appearances  to  clean- 
liness, are  but  a  part  of  the  many  evils  of  a  boarding-house 
life,  as  they  appeared  to  us  at  least.     The  contrast  of  all 
this  is  seen  in  the  private  dwellings  of  the  opulent  which  we 
had  the  opportunity  of  visiting,  where  every  comfort  and 
luxury  that  the  most  fastidious  could  desire  were  united, 
and  where  the  only  objection  to  the  style  of  living  was  its 
great  expense. 


PECULIARITI3BS   OF  EXPRESSION.  16| 

Of  pecuUajities  in  expression  I  did  not  meet  with  nearly 
so  many  a«  I  had  been  led  to  expect.  A  few  wor^o"  J 
are  used  m  good  society  here  that  are  not  weU  Wn  or 
common  with  us,  though  some  others  convey  a  dXent 
sense  fir<«i  that  m  which  we  are  accustomed  tJ  hew  them 
The  word  sparse  is  constantly  used,  in  speaking  of  popuSi 
tion,  as  opposed  to  dense,  as'"  the  Western  stftes  ?rTbu 
yet  sparsely  peopled."  The  word  urukrstandinglv  is  uSd 
for  «/t,«««y  as  in  the  phrase  « I  should  have  rJp^ed  to  ^^^ 
question  earhei,  but  I  wished  to  do  it  understandingly."    A 

abtt  1^  ''™  f  P?!^'?  '°  "^  ''^''  "^^^  troubles  h^i^e^ 

nLnl  nf  '  K?'"'  ^'^'''^'^  *"^  ^^"^  ^  »  lo«ng«  about 
places  of  pubhc  or  private  amusements;  and  also  to  a  low 

weU  SoJn'T'"'^^;!,  '?  ^  "'^^'^"^  amplication:  of  ^or^ 
who  ^7 J-  U''  *^^  following  are  examples.  A  per^ 
who  M  lU  or  indisposed,  from  whatever  cause  or  ofVtaN 
Ho!-  fT^**'  ^?  always  said  to  be  sick.     The  word'«for« 

tnZ      \^  '^"^"''  ""^^^  *  ^'C^  ^ind,  but  mereV  rain  or 
snow,  with  or  without  wind.     No  force  of  wind  a^^ne,  how- 
ever,  is  caUed  a  storm,  though  rain  or  snow  in  a  ^rfect  calm 
^njarmbly  so  denominated;   and  the  phrase  "stormy 
weather    is  used  when  rain  or  snow  is  descfiding  without 
a  breath  of  wind  in  the  heavens.     The  terj*'  ugly  is  rarely 
or  never  apphed  to  the  person,  but  to  the^alities  of  mind- 
and  an  ugly  man  or  an  ugly  woman  ?^eans  a  person  of 
angry  temper,  or  petulant,  or  unprinci^ed,  or  disagreeable 
m  mind  and  manners.    On  the  otherhand,  the  term  lovelu 
man  is  as  frequent  as  that  of  lovel/woman,  and  neither  of 
them  has  the  least  relation  to  pers^al  beauty,  but  means  al- 
ways a  combination  of  talent,  ^tue,  and  affability  in  the 
person  to  whom  it  is  applied.  /A.  dever  person  is  a  phrase 
used  to  denote  a  lesser  degre«?bf  ;«cellence  than  lovely,  and 
apphes  chiefly  to  sweetness  or  amiability  of  disposition 
meanmg  good-nature  ratber  than  talent.    Speaking  of  a 
lady  who  was  of  very  pisS*  exterior,  but  who  possessed 
nigh  qualities  of  mind  ami  heart,  I  once  heard  this  descrip- 
tion  given :  "  She  as  unaoubtediy  a  very  lovely  woman,  but 
It  cannot  be  denied  thai:  she  is  bitter  homely."     The  term 
right  away  is  in  constant   use  to  indicate  immediately 
Jfretty  smart  ^nd  pretty  miserable  are  pkases  that  bespeak 
good  health  «nd  spirits,  or  the  reverse ;  and  on  asking  a  lady 
or  gentleman  how  they  do,  one  or  other  of  these  answers  is 
not  uncommon.    When  a  person  is  greatly  affected  by  dis- 
ease,  or  when  excessively  fatigued,  either  by  physical  labour, 


16S 


STATE   OF   NKW-YORK. 


mental  study,  or  gay  dissipation,  he  ia  said  to  be  pretty  much 
used  up. 

In  the  adoption  of  French  words,  the  English  pronuncia- 
tion is  usually  given,  and  persons  speak  of  the  rout  they  in- 
tend to  take  in  a  journey  instead  of  route.  When  persons 
are  addressed  in  conversation,  and  do  not  hear  at  first  what 
is  said  to  them,  they  usually  make  the  interrogatory  hmo  ? 
which  is  certainly  less  abrupt  than  our  what?  among  the 
vulgar,  and  more  brief  and  appropriate  than  the  phrase  I 
beg  your  pardon  among  the  more  refined,  which  would  bo 
the  expressions  used  in  similar  cases  in  England.  In  an» 
swering  a  question  when  distinctly  understood,  as,  for  in- 
stance, "  Where  are  you  going  to-day  ?"  or  "  What  think 
you  of  the  present  prospect  of  affairs  ?"  or  even  the  simple 
qiHstion  of  "  What  o'clock  is  it  ?"  the  party  answering  usu- 
aWy begins  by  saying,  "Well,"  and,  after  a  short  pause, 
gives  you  the  answer  required.  To  "get  along"  is  the 
phrase  yjuivalent  to  ours  of  to  "  get  on,"  that  is,  to  make 
progress 'fi  a  journey  or  to  advance  in  life.  To  "  guess"  is 
not  appliel  to  the  future  exclusively,  nor  even  to  the  pres- 
ent, but  to  tie  past  uud  to  the  certain.  For  instance,  a  per- 
son will  say  'i  presume,"  or  "  I  reckon,"  or  "  I  guess  that 
the  dinner-beU Aa«  rung;"  and  if  you  ask  him  on  what 
ground  he  so  prv^umes,  or  reckons,  or  guesses,  he  will  tell 
you  that  he  heard^t ;  and  if  a  servant,  he  would  say,  per- 
haps, "  Well!  I  rurttit  myself."  It  often  occurs  that  an  in- 
dividual  is  addressed  <<i  conversation  as  the  third  person,  as 
in  Italy;  ami  a  lady  wu  frequently  be  heard  saying  to  a 
gentleman  whom  she  is  addressing  face  to  face,  "  I  hope  we 
shall  have  the  pleasure  of  i^eing  Mr.  Buckingham  again,  if, 
mdeed,  Mr.  Buckmgham's  tngagements  are  not  too  numer- 
ous to  permit  us  to  indulge  ft^at  hope ;"  or  a  person  would 
ask  me  sometimes,  "Can  you  ^ell  me  where  Mr.  Bucking- 
ham delivers  his  lecture  this  ftveiong  ?"  the  parties  knowing 
all  the  while  that  it  was  myself  ft»at  they  were  addressing. 

On  the  whole,  however,  there  ia  much  less  of  variety  in 
dialect,  pronunciation,  and  expression  among  the  people  of 
America,  as  far  as  we  had  yet  seea  Uiem,  than  there  is  in 
Great  Britain,  where  not  only  the  English,  Scotch,  Irish, 
and  Welsh  have  their  marked  and  broad  accents  and  pecu- 
liarities, but  where  the  different  counties  of  ^ach  produce 
such  varieties  as  to  make  the  peasant  of  the  ont  nearly  un- 
intelligible to  the  peasant  of  the  other.  Here  tht  frequent 
intercourse  between  state  and  state  wears  off  whatever  pe- 
culiarities may  be  acquired  in  early  life  in  any  one  locadity ; 


CUMATK. 


163 


and  thus  there  IS  a  geneial  level  or  standard  observable 
among  the  whole  The  only  universal  characterrstfc  that  I 
could  observe  to  distinguish  Ameriean  conversation  preaeh- 
ing,  or  speaking  from  English,  was  a  dearly  percSe 

?nn;  nn?'  T'  ^T'  ^^^^^''^  ^"describable  sort  of  wh  „iig 
tone,  not  quite  nasal,  nor  yet  far  from  it,  but  mingled  wK 
^m  wiry  sound  which  is  common  to  both  sexesfbut  more 
marked  in  females,  and  in  both  it  takes  much  from  the  fuU 
ness,  digmty,  and  riehness  of  tone,  which  is  so  gre^a  chann 
m  well-sustained  conversation,  and  still  more  so  in  efforts^ 
eloquence  made  from  the  pulpit,  the  bar,  or  the  platform. 


mm 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


"^s^sis^^rrct^^s^^ 


««ided  as  r  mild  m^.-S^p^^cl^Jlm^?J'^'\fT^^^  **'">**'  <»'  '837  re- 
Packet.,  Steambcis,  S^^rx^i^^^S^^ ^!:,^'^ ^'^^  **'}•»  thi.._8hip., 
Polar  Seas—Environs  ofKvXKl.n  T«„- if'Pf*"''!?"  **"•""«'  <"«  *e 
Brighton.-A8be.to.  Quamei IjerMv  ChwXLu?*J'''"'^~^l?'«"  ^•'"'>«J»  New 
senger.  in  Carriage.  conS  wSaMn^%"/*'"^  ?""•"'  Boats.-P«.. 
•nd  Gentlemen—Good  Fiwand  M^S^fLiS-  *5  "^^ES"^  ApartmenU  for  Ladies 
our  Stay  in  New.YoS.-F.reJ^nT2S^«J^^S*'°™^^^  *"•  •"—Last  Day  of 

The  weather  during  our  stay  in  New- York,  from  Octo- 

ever  rllT^;  T'  "'^  '^'  ^^«^^'  «^°^«  ^gree^h^  thTi 
rUnZZ  Vu  ^r'.  «^P«  «"*^«d  ^itJ^i"  the  same  period 
m  England.     The  first  two  of  these  months  were  delightful 
rt  bemg  a  sort  of  second  autumn,  which  is  here  called  "the 
Indian  summer."     The  sky  was  always  bright,  the  atmo 
sphere  clear  and  the  air  soft  and  balmy.     In  DecembeTk 
began  to  feel  cold ;  but  throughout  the  ^oleoHhat  month 
and  January   here  were  not  more  than  three  or  four  dTvs 

briZ""  ?  '^'"-  ^^'  ^'°^*  ^^  sometimes  severe,  but  the 
bright  and  warm  sun,  and  the  fresh  and  healthy  atmosphere 

™ouM  bThn  "'*'•"  ^  ^T'^l  *^""  '^'  ««™«  -™0""t  of  cold 
?n  f1,!  "^  H^  England.  The  coldest  days  were  early 
m  February,  when  the  thermometer  was  on  one  occasTon 
as  low  as  seven  degrees  below  zero;  the  rivers  were  b^ 
nearly  frozen  over,  and  the  harbour  ^as  full  of  floItTng  ice 

from  the  cdd  Tt^'r^  '''^''  ^"y  ^-*  incontnlence 
irom  the  cold,  as  the  houses  are  well  warmed  with  stoves, 


*■■; 


164 


STATE    OF   NBW-YOIiK. 


m 


and  greatcoats  and  leaks  were  found  sufficient  protection 
on  going  out.  We  suffered  some  little  derangement  in 
health  at  first  from  change  of  climate,  change  of  diet,  much 
occupation,  and  sometimea  late  hours,,  having  frequently  to 
dine  with  one  party  before  delivering  my  lecture,  and  then 
going  out  to  spend  the  evening  with  another  party  after  it 
was  concluded.  But  we  soon  got  a<^climated,  and,  with 
due  rest,  and  well-proportioned  intervals  of  occupation  aiid 
repose,  were  perfectly  restored  to  the  enjoyment  of  our 
usual  vigour  and  spirits.  m^ 

There  is  a  description  of  coal  burned  h«;i3,  called  anthra- 
cite, whicii  is  very  hard,  scarcely  at  all  bituminous  pro- 
ducmg,  therefore,  but  little  flame,  yet  giving  out  grec  i  head 
and  a  sulphr-rif  gas,  the  effect  of  which  is  very  injurious  to 
some  consti  utions.  It  .;f?V,cted  rae  with  intense  headache, 
of  which  I  was  some  Iv  s>efore  I  discovered  the  cause.  It 
has  the  effect  of  makir,^-  >hb  crnosph  re  of  the  room  in 
which  it  is  bnrned  so  dry  thw,  ihfi  skm  begins  to  feel  un- 
comfortable, arid  the  half  o  ii^tvw  ^rixy  and  stand  on  end. 
Some  persons  counteract  Jjesstj  efliecis  by  placing  a  pan  of 
boiling  water  on  a  place  beside  the  fire,  so  that  its  steam 
shall  ascend  in  the  room,  and  gradually  diffuse  the  vapour 
throughout  its  atmosphere ;  but  we  preferred  discontinuing 
^he  use  of  it  in  cvur  apartment  altogether,  and  substituting 
Erglish  coal,  called  here  Liverpool  coal :  the  effect  of  the 
charge  was  perceptible  in  a  few  days;  the  sensations  of 
dryncns  of  the  skin  and  hair,  as  well  as  the  headache,  dis- 
appearmg  entirely,  and  never  returning  again. 

Towards  the  end  of  February  the  snow  became  suffi- 
ciently deep  to  admit  of  the  use  of  sleighs  instead  of  car- 
nages, and  the  effect  of  the  change  was  agreeable  to  the 
eye  and  the  ear  of  the  stranger.  The  sleigh,  being  drawn 
tuong  upon  the  smooth  surface  o(  the  snow,  makes  no  noise 
m  its  progress,  and  this  was  an  agreeable  substitute  for  the 
ceaseless  raMe  of  omnibus,  cart,  and  carriage  wheels.  To 
give  due  warnings  however,  of  its  approach,  the  horses  have 
collars  of  bells,  which  tinkle  merrily  as  they  trot,  and  give 
apparent  pleasure  xo  the  animal  itself,  as  well  as  to  those 
who  are  dra^vn  by  it  The  private  sleighs  are  of  very  light 
and  elegant  foi;ms,  and  are  not  elevated  more  than  two  or 
three  feet  above  the  snow.  They  are  open  to  the  air,  but 
are  warmly  lined  with  large  buffalo  skins,  the  furs  of  which 
serve  to  enwrap  the  parties  seated  in  the  sleighs ;  and  this 
mode  of  taking  the  au-  is  mor»?  /  equently  adopted  by  thu 
ladies,  with  whom  "sleighing"  k  a  very  favourite  amuse- 


MILD   WINTERS. — COMMERCE. 


165 


ment,  than  with  gentlemen.  In  addition  to  the  private 
sleighs,  the  omnibuses  and  carts  are  taken  off  their  wheels 
mxd  placed  on  slides  or  runners ;  and  the  noiseless  progres^ 
oi  nil  these,  passing  and  repassing  each  other,  without  the 
nsiahhng  sound  of  bad  pavements  and  reckless  driving,  with 
the  musical  jingle  of  the  bells,  produces  altogether  a  most 
agreeable  effect. 

It  is  said  by  many  that  the  winters  of  America  are  ob- 
served to  alternate  after  periods  of  ten  years ;  that  there  are 
ten  years,  for  instance,  during  which  they  are  severe,  and 
go  on  getting  more  and  more  severe  from  the  first  of  these 
de'jades  to  the  last ;  and  they  are  then  succeeded  by  a  se- 
ries often  mUd  winters,  growing  milder  and  milder  as  they 
proceed,  till  the  return  of  the  severe  period  again.     The 
celebrated  Dr..  Dwight,  of  Connecticut,  wa.]  the  first  to  ob- 
serve this  peculiarity;  ana  his  son,  from  whom  I  heard  this, 
stated  that,  from  very  close  observation  of  the  climate  for 
the  last  thirty  years,  he  had  found  this  to  be  the  fact.     The 
present  he  regarded  as  the  first  of  the  mild  series  of  ten 
wmters,  and  he  congratulated  us  on  our  arrival  at  so  oppor- 
tune a  commencement. 

To  a  maritime  eye,  one  of  the  most  agreeable  sights  in 
New. York  is  its  busy  wharves,  ample  waters,  and  crowds 
of  shippmg,  always  entering,  or  leaving,  or  loading  at  its 
port.  ° 


The  maritime  eminence  of  New- York,  however,  is  ow- 
ing  not  so  much  to  its  excellent  shelter  for  ships,  as  to  its 
position  as  the  most  commodious  point  of  entrance  into 
yrn„  u:-.-y  ui   iHo   umuii  iur  au  loreign  commerce. 


th 


166 


STATB  OF  NSW-rOllK. 


Boston,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore  have  each  in  their  day 
enjoyed  their  periods  of  maritime  prosperity ;  but,  since  the 
opening  of  the  great  canal  from  the  Hudson  River  to  Lake 
Erie,  which  makes  a  water-line  of  navigation  from  New- 
York  to  the  lakes  of  the  interior,  and  since  the  other  outlets 
formed  from  these  Icdoes  to  the  great  rivers,  Ohio  Missouri, 
and  Mississippi,  by  which   goods  can  be  conveyed  from 
hence  as  far  south  as  New  Orleans  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  as  far  west  as  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  New- 
York  has  acquired,  and  will  long  retain,  the  character  of 
being  the  great  emporium  of  commerce  for  all  the  Western 
States.      A  great  portion  of  the  native  produce  of  those 
states,  in  flour  and  other  provisions,  is  brought  here  by  these 
water-channels  for  shipment ;  and  the  greater  portion  of  the 
British  manufactures  consumed  in  America- are  imported 
into  New- York  from  London  or  Liverpool,  while  many 
vessels  also  arrive  here  with  French  goods  from  Havre. 

In  addition  to  the  constantly-increasing  tonnage  of  New- 
York  for  the  foreign  and  the  coasting  trade,  which  branches 
off  from  this  point,  there  are  regular  lines  of  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  packets  in  the  world,  sailing  with  the  puno-* 
tuality  of  the  mail  from  hence  to  the  tluee  great  ports 
named,  at  intervals  of  only  a  few  days  apart.     Some  of 
these  ships,  of  recent  construction,  are  800  and  1000  tons, 
and  are  as  beautiful  specimens  of  naval  architecture  as  ever 
came  from  the  hand  of  the  builder.     Their  forms  combine, 
in  the   highest  degree   ever  yet  united,  the  requisites  of 
strength,  capacity  or  burden,  speed,  safety,   and  beauty. 
Their  equipments  are  as  perfect  as  their  hulls,  and  their 
cabin  accommodations  for  passengers  are  all  that  can  be  re- 
quired ;  they  are,  in  short,  excellent  maritime  hotels,  and 
are  furnished  with  everything  that  can  render  a  sea-voyage 
agreeable.      The  President,  in  which  we  cajpae  out  from 
London,  was  inferior  in  size  and  comfort  to  all  the  others 
that  we  saw,  being  one  of  the  oldest  class;  but  the  builders 
go  on  improving  so  rapidly  in  the  construction  and  fitting  up 
of  their  vessels,  that  each  new  one  launched  is  superior  to  all 
her  predecessors,  and  is  visited  to  be  admired  by  hundreds 
of  inspectors  before  she  sails  on  her  first  voyage. 

The  steamboats  of  America  differ  very  much  from  those 
of  England,  both  in  external  appearance  and  in  internal  ar- 
rangement. Instead  of  having,  as  with  us,  the  engines  be- 
low, and  the  cabins  for  passengers  beneath  the  main  deck, 
it  is  the  custom  here  to  devote  the  lower  part  of  the  vessel 
to  the  stoAvage  of  cargo,  and  on  the  main  deck  are  placed 


AMERICAN  STBAMBRt. 


f«7 


<^e  engines,  one  on  each  side,  with  a  krir^  ^».ir«« 

tt  usuaUy  a  «p,«.te  „loon  fo,  ladie.,  .nd  om  for  kmle 

onp    o!wi  I        u^.  V*^'*  graceful  than  that  of  an  Enelish 
one,  and  her  whole  bulk  seems  cumbrous  and  o^eriS  • 

^nVe"rs  ttf  a"^''"";^^'"""*^  ^°'  *»»«  comfort  of  5^^  ^sl 
weTiLM  ?h    "''2^".^u°^*!.*'^^«  "^  d«°ided  superiorhyra^ 

um^er  the  high-pressure  engines,  averaging  at  the  X^nf 

on Xe  Tef  ^The'^fi  -^,"ve-'  and  t^efve  mit  Tkot 

did  not  need  separate  beds,  on  her  dijr«      Thl  •  ♦    • 
ranffpmpnt  «!"  tCj^  -*  '    ,  "Ccks.     1  he  mterior  ar- 

ikt1o„t;»    f u.  .     V^  ""^®  "^'  "led  in  a  trio  across  thn 

td^ed.   ^"^   ""''"  '^"  ^^^"^^^  ^  «^«y  ^ay  admirably 


166 


ST  ATI    OP   NEW-YORK. 


A  naval  expedition,  for  a  vovage  of  exploration  in  X\m 
South  Seas,  had  been  long  lying  in  tbe  harbour,  in  a  state 
of  uncertainty  as  to  whether  it  £  .  ^h>.  ;d  to  sea  or  tot. 
It  is  understood  to  have  ori  *"  i'Mj  tUe  late  president, 

General  Jackson,  who  took  u  gioai  interest  in  it;  and,  un- 
der his  auspices,  the  formuLo  i  and  equipment  of  the  squad- 
ron was  begun.  It  was  to  consist  of  a  frigate,  the  Macedo- 
nian, two  sloops,  and  two  ^tore-ships  ;  and  the  object  of  the 
expedition  was  to  make  new  geographical  discoveries  ''n  the 
South  Polar  Seas.  From  the  cessation  o^  'jin^icu  oick- 
son's  authority  as  president,  however,  the  interest  of  the 
government  in  the  expedition  seems  to  have  declined  ;  and 
it  had  been  upwud  of  a  year  in  port,  nearly  all  that  time 
ready  for  sea,  witV  a  succession  of  several  commanders,  and 
a  removal  of  severtil  of  the  ships,  with  dissatisfaction  among 
the  officers,  in  ootience  among  the  seamen,  and  indifference 
at  the  sources  ol  naval  authority.  It  has  since  sailed,  how- 
ever, and  is  now  in  the  southern  hemisphere. 

The  environs  of  New- York  are  extremely  interesting,  and 
might  well  engage  the  attention  of  the  traveller  for  a  long- 
er period  than  would  be  generally  imagined.  T^ong  Island, 
which  preserves  a  continued  parallelism  with  the  front  of 
the  eastern  part  of  the  city,  and  extends  its  length  in  a 
northeast  direction  for  mnny  miles — interposing  as  a  barrier 
between  the  Atlantic  and  the  fine  navigable  sound  that  lies 
between  the  island  and  the  continent — is  well  worth  visiting 
in  every  part ;  and  during  the  summer  it  is  much  frequent- 
ed, especially  on  the  southeastern  edge,  for  the  excellent 
sea-bathing  which  is  there  enjoyed,  liabylon  and  Jaricho 
are  among  the  names  of  the  towns  it  possesses  and  to  me, 
who  had  visited  the  ancient  *  i,'  ruined  cities  **  the  Eaat, 
from  which  both  of  these  were  called,  it  was  a  strange  sight 
to  see  their  names  on  a  directing  signpost,  as  included  among 
the  places  to  which  you  can  be  cr  a    'yed  by  railroad  ! 

Brooklyn  is  the  chief  town  ou  Long  Island.  Less  than 
twenty  years  ago  there  were  but  a  few  country  houses 
here,  and  now  there  is  a  regularly-plnnned  and  '<  «^ully-in- 
corporated  city,  containing  30,000  inhabitant.  It^  ntuation 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  East  River,  am.  n  r  re  eleva- 
ted ground  than  that  on  which  New-YorI<  ».  d,  gives 
it  great  advantages  in  the  purity  of  its  air  aim  the  t  xtent  of 
its  prosp ::'.,  The  elevation  of  that  part  of  the  island  of 
Manhattan  on  which  New- York  is  built  nowhere  exceeds 
50  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water  on  either  side,  while 
the  elevation  of  the   unner  nart  of  Brooklvn  exceeds  200 


BROOKLYN. 


169 


^L  V  •"^""?  ""^  Manhattan  thero  were  oririnaUv 

great  inequahfes  of  surface,  in  the  elevations  of  masTe"  of 
the  gray  or  b  u.sh  granite,  of  which  that  island  T«  chfeflv 
LTS  - V"^'^™"^ ^«F--ons  between  them,  S 
M  nre  still  to  be  seen,  indeed,  in  those  parts  of  the  island  hT 
g.nd  the  present  city,  and  which  are^ot  ye  buUt  upon" 
But  m  the  laying  out  the  streets  and  squares  of  the  presenl 
town,  these  inequalities  were  all  levelled,  so  tha  thiie  are 
few  cities  m  the  world  at  all  approaching  to  New-York  [n 
size  that  have  so  few  elevations  or  deprefs  ons  aTit  e'hii 
Its  throughout  its  whole  extent.  ^  ^^'^' 

Citv'of  "ii^"'  ^Ip'^^^^'-e' being  generally  elevated  far  above  the 
City  of  New. York,  enjoys  a  much  purer  atmosphere  and  i^ 
?rnm  Tt!^  Pft.cularly  agreeable  as  a  .mmerreJidence! 
from  Its  coolness  ;  and  the  view  of  Ne^  ork,  as  vou Took 
down  upon  ,t  from  the  heights  of  Brooklyn,  is  as  fine  a  pros- 
pect  as  the  eye  can  dwell  upon.  The  L uses  irBrooklvn 
are  on  the  «am.  general  plan  as  those  of  New-Yorf  Th^y 

moie  ofT''  ^''l  r^f  "'^^"^  ^"  '^^'  decorations,  and 
more  of  them  are  built  of  wood.     The  ereat  bulk  nftLi 

habitants  of  Brooklyn  are  the  familLs  orpersons  w^Xve" 
busmes.  -.atablishments  in  New-York,  as  merchrnts  trader? 

aSd^uTer^"  "  7^\--<^eon\hissideK;nomy 
and  quiet ,   and,  c      ainly,  the  contrast  between  the  serenitv 

nlt'?"'"^^  :;  ^^-^ington-street  in  Brooklyn^  ZTZ 
stran/er  /  .  i  Broad  ay  m  New-York,  is  striking  to  a 
stranger,  n  i  must  grat  ful  and  refreshing  to  persoL  en- 
pged  m  business  a  they    ross  over  the  rive?  to  return 

home  after  the  h.  at  ..,,  t'     Justle  of  a  busy  summer's  day 
Brooklyn  has  an  exceiien    Lyceum,  to  which  i^attached 
a  spacious  a..d  eleg  uit  theatre  for  lectures,  supe  Lf  Ssi^e 
and  gera^ral  arrangement  to  either  the  Stuyvesant  InstT 
tute  or  Clmton  Hall  in  New-York.  this  theatre  I  de 

ivered  m>  two  courses  of  lectures  on  E    J  and  Palestine" 

mernL       /      T  ^"^^7  ^^^"'"S*     ^h     .hurches  are  nu- 
merous  and  well  attended,  and  a  per'  ct    olitude  reiens 
throughout  the  streets  in  Brooklyn  during  i.     CuTs  of  dT 
V me   se^vice,  every   place   of  worship  l^^ng   uUed      It 
phasing  to  witness,  .^  the  .^ose  of     ".erviL  ante  ^b- 

alue  oT^he'SVn       '"'"  ''"^  ''''      '^"^  *^'°"S  ^    ^^ 

^r'^^^,^'^^  .    f°?lfty  in  Brooklyn,  as     mtrasted  with  that 
vi  .^s^y-  iurK.  IS  nke  that  of  a  sma  1  couxitry-town  in  F  ig. 


Vol.  I Y 


15 


170 


STATE    or   NEW-YORK. 


land  compared  with  London.  It  is  more  domestic,  more 
simple,  more  hearty,  social,  frank,  and  hospitable.  Borne 
of  the  pleasiwitest  evenings  we  passed  were  in  the  family 
circles  of  Brooklyn,  and  we  found  them  as  well  informed 
and  intellectual  as  they  were  generous,  friendly,  and  agree* 
able. 

Staten  Island  is  another  pleasui.t  spot  in  the  environs  of 
New- York.  Being  situated  at  the  Narrows,  as  the  entrance 
to  the  harbour  is  called,  and  near  the  open  sea,  it  is  a  fa« 
vourite  spot  for  health  and  recreation.  The  three  Hcamen's 
institutions  already  described  are  here ;  and  a  watering* 
place,  called  New-Bri|^  iton,  has  recently  been  built  on  Stat- 
en Island,  where  an  excellent  hotel,  called  the  Colonnade, 
is  much  frequented  in  the  summer  months.  Some  quarries 
of  asbestos  are  worked  on  Staten  Island,  and  their  produce 
is  brought  up  to  New- York  for  manufacture  and  sale. 

Jersey  City,  which  is  opposite  to  New- York  on  the  west, 
as  Brooklyn  is  on  the  east — the  former  having  the  Hudson 
River  flowing  between  it  and  New- York,  and  the  latter  hav- 
ing the  East  River  running  bet^  een  it  and  the  city — is  also 
lii  the  environs  ;  but  it  is  not  much  frequented  except  for 
business,  and  in  the  route  to  various  places  in  the  State  of 
New-Jersey.  It  is  chiefly  occupied  with  trade,  and  is  a 
busy  and  thriving  city. 

Hoboken  is  another  and  a  very  favourite  spot,  a  little  far- 
ther up  the  Hudson  River,  to  the  north  ;  but  my  engage- 
ments were  so  incessant  in  New- York  that  I  had  not  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  its  beauties,  which  are,  however,  very 
highly  spoken  of. 

From  New- York  to  all  these  places  there  are  steam  fer- 
ry-boats going  every  hour  of  the  day,  and  these  are  as  com- 


SCHOOI.   EXHIBITION. 


171 


fortable  as  bridges,  for  persons  in  carriages  need  not  aliffht 
but  may  drive  into  the  boat,  and  remain  there  undisturbed  to 
the  end  of  the  passage,  and  then  drive  on  shore  again  •  while 
passengers  not  riding  or  driving  are  accommodated  with 
pleasant  cabins  and  warm  and  comfortable  fires. 

On  the  last  day  of  my  stay  in  New- York  I  had  hoped  to 
have  enjoyed  an  entire  day  of  rest  preparatory  to  our  jour- 
ney  south,  especially  as  we  had  in  the  preceding  week  ta- 
ken  leave  of  all  our  very  numerous  personal  friends.     But 
my  repose  was  broken  in  upon  by  a  pressing  invitation  which 
1  could  not  resist.     I  had  been  invited  by  letter  to  attend  the 
public  exhibition  and  examination  of  the  pupils  at  one  of  the 
comnion  schools,  No.  15,  in  Twenty-seventh-street,  and  had 
already  expressed  my  inability  to  attend,  from  the  near  ap. 
proach  of  our  departure,  and  the  necessity  of  completing 
many  arrangements  for  which  the  time  would  be  required, 
ihe  directors,  however,  to  overrule  this  objection,  deputed 
some  of  their  body,  headed  by  the  mayor  of  New- York,  Mr. 
Aaron  Clark,  who  came  himself  with  a  carriage  for  our  con- 
veyance,  and  I  was  thus  compelled  to  accompany  him  to  the 
exhibition  at  seven  o'clock,  and  remain  there  till  ten,  though 
having  a  hundred  things  to  do,  and  to  start  with  my  famSy 
at  SIX  the  next  morning  for  Philadelphia. 

I  was  amply  rewarded,  however,  for  my  attendance.  The 
schoolroom  was  spacious,  airy,  and  well  arranged  in  every 
respect.  The  boys  and  girls,  in  separate  classes,  were  well 
dressed,  and  in  the  best  possible  order ;  and  while  these  oc 
cupied  the  upper  end  of  the  room,  and  came  on  the  plat- 
lorm  for  examination  in  detachments,  the  examiners  occu. 
pied  an  elevation  at  the  lower  end  of  the  room ;  and  between 
these  two  extremes  the  body  of  the  school  was  filled  with 
upward  of  600  of  the  parents  of  the  scholars,  with  about  300 
visiters,  relatives,  and  friends. 

The  examination  of  each  class  was  conducted  by  its  re- 
spective teacher,  assisted  occasionally  by  an  incidental  ques- 
tion  from  some  of  the  visiters  on  the  platform,  and  the  pro- 
hciency  of  the  pupils  was  extraordinary.     In  mathematics, 
astronomy,  history,  and  geography,  tlieir  knowledge  was 
surprising,  both  for  its  extent  and  acciuacv.     In  recitation 
they  were  not  so  good,  though  perhaps  this'  vas  less  percep- 
tible  to  the  American  portion  of  the  auditory  than  to  myself, 
on  whose  ear  the  nasal  and  drawling  tones  of  the  ordinary 
pronunciation  of  all  classes  here  fell  disagreeably,  and  must 
so,  i  should  think,  to  every  person  recently  from  England  ; 
though  a  lonff  reRiH^noo  mi/rht  v,«u .-i-  --^°.     •/ 

as  It  does  to  provincial]  ms  at  home. 


# 


vn 


STATB   OF  NEW-YORK. 


What  delighted  me  more,  however,  than  even  the  pro- 
ficiency of  the  pupils  in  the  several  branches  of  learning  in 
which  they  were  examined,  was  the  delivery  of  an  address 
to  the  Society  for  Mental  and  Moral  Improvement  by  one 
of  the  senior  boys,  who  had  been  its  first-elected  president, 
but  who  had  since  been  succeeded  by  another  in  rotation  of 
office.  This  society  was  composed  entirely  of  the  pupils  of 
the  public  school  No.  15,  and  was  first  founded  by  them,  as 
their  own  voluntary  act,  on  the  17th  of  May,  1836,  with  a 
president,  vice-president,  secretary,  and  three  directors,  all 
elected  annually  by  the  members  themselves.  A  copy  of 
the  constitution  of  this  young  society  of  moral  and  mental 
reformers  was  presented  to  me  at  the  school,  and  from  it  I 
transcribe  some  few  of  its  articles 

"  1.  To  become  a  member  of  this  society,  the  scholar  must  sign  this 
constitution,  and  therebj^  pledge  himself  to  avoid  the  following  vices, 
viz. :  1st.  Profane  swearing;  8d.  Falsehood;  3d.  Fighting  and  quarrel- 
ling; 4th.  Dishonesty,  gambling,  and  theft;  5th.  Ungentl'^manly  con- 
duct  at  all  times  and  places. 

"  2.  The  practice  of  smoking  or  of  tuing  tobacco  in  any  of  the  common 
modes  of  indulgence,  being  m  itself  ungentlemanlike,  and,  moreover, 
tending  to  produce  habits  of  intemperance,  is  forbidden  by  the  pledge  in- 
volved in  joining  this  society. 

"  3.  The  amusement  ci  playing  at  marbles  being  at  best  a  filthy  one, 
it  is  important  to  consider  whether  it  has  not  also  more  important  evil 
consequences.  It  frequently  leads  to  fighting  and  quarrelling,  and  is, 
moreover,  a  low  species  of  gambling,  which  in  time  may  lead  to  gam- 
bling of  a  more  serious  kind.  It  is  therefore  forbidden  by  the  pledge  of 
this  society. 

"4.  No  scholar  shall  become  a  member  of  this  society  who  is  irregu- 
lar in  his  attendance  at  school,  who  is  frequently  deficient  in  his  school 
exercises,  or  who  appears  indifferent  to  his  moral  respectability  or  men- 
tal improvement. 

"5.  The  election  of  the  president  and  other  officers  is  restricted  to  a 
choice  from  the  highest  classes  of  the  pupils,  and  this  choice  must  be 
approved  by  the  teacher  before  it  can  become  valid. 

"  6.  The  board  of  directors  have  alone  power  to  expel  or  suspend 
members  for  misconduct. 

"  7.  No  member  shall  be  capable  of  holding  any  office  within  two 
months  after  having  been  found  by  the  board  of  directors  guilty  of  any 
offence  against  the  rules  of  the  society.  Any  officer  so  convicted  shall 
immediately  be  degraded  from  his  office,  and  a  successor  shall  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  board  of  directors  to  supply  his  place  until  the  next  reg- 
ular election. 

"  8.  A  faithful  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  society,  and  a  register 
of  the  conduct  and  proficiency  of  its  members,  kept  by  the  secretary, 
shall  be  presented  to  the  patrons  at  every  visit  which  they  shall  make 
at  the  school. 

"  9.  The  scholars  whose  names  arc  signed  hereto  agree  to  support 
this  constitution,  and  to  conform  to  all  the  pledges  her-'in  contained,  and 
generally  to  exert  aU  their  moral  influence  to  improve  the  intellectual 
character  of  each  other,  and  to  elevate  that  of  the  school." 


LAST  DAY  AT  NEW-YOEK. 


173 


The  names  of  about  fifty  pupils  were  sitm^ii  *^  *u'   j 
ment,  and,  from  inquiry  made  in  sTveralTuartl.     ?  ^'^'" 
tained  that  during  the  two  vpar,  fhL  1-  *1"^^*^",  I  ascer- 
established,  i.  h/d  tn^Xuvl'S   he  SIS  ^" 
ing  never  interfered  witlithe  studio  „f,i,.i,  '""'"'.''a''- 

deep  interest  in  .h"Ssl  „f  everf  pla^fof  "IH?  '""i" 
ble^ings  of  education  more  exteS^ltf  S  rS  of 
soe  ety,  fjom  a  conviction  that  to  ignorance  Z^atSt  oro 
portion  of  vice  and  miserv  rvi^tln.  ;„  .t  i  p^°"'»'  P'<>- 

mmmm 

cording  y,  overpressed  as  I  already  felt  iSf^to  h.  wll" 

SHh/fSs"^'  r;s:£T5H*^ 

for  them  a  series  of  articles"^  On  thpT/        ,     ^^°"^**  "^"^^ 

NewlorlcT'^K  "'''^^'''  ^^''^^  ^  ^«"^  ™°"ths'  r?s  denc;^ 
'      ~  '^••^^'5^ '""« t^o  ™l>jecl  of  a  separate  Toloaw. 


174 


STATE   or   NBW-JKRSEY. 


to  experience  deep  regret  at  parting  with  them,  and  even 
with  those  in  whose  opinions  we  did  not  always  coincide, 
there  was  so  friendly  an  understanding,  and  so  much  good- 
nature and  forbearance,  that  we  found  it  a  hard  matter  to 
say  "  Adieu." 


I'll  ■ 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Voyage  from  New- York  to  Amboy  by  Steamboat.— Journey  from  Amboy  to  Camden 
by  Railroad.— Crossing  the  Delaware  in  Ice-boat  to  Philadelphia.— Visit  to  the  P«nn< 
ayWanian  Convention,  then  silting.— Nature,  Object,  and  Proceedings  of  Conventions. 
—Temperance  Festival  at  the  Arch-stroet  Theatre,  given  as  a  Public  Welcome  to 
myself  and  Family.— Preparations  and  Arrangements  for  the  Entertainment.— Opin* 
ions  of  the  Press  on  the  Temperance  Festival.— Departure  from  Philadelphia  by 
Railroad  for  Baltimore.- Halt  at  Wilmington.— Deputation  headed  by  Judge  Hall.— 
Passing  from  the  Free  into  the  Slave  States.— Arrival  at  Baltimore.— Temperance 
Meeting  there.— Journey  by  Railroad  to  Washington. 

Earl\  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  the  2l8t  of  Febru- 
ary, we  left  New- York  for  Philadelphia.  The  air  was  in- 
tensely cold,  the  thermometer  being  8*^  below  zero ;  and  the 
East  River  was  filled  with  floating  ice,  while  many  of  the 
larger  vessels  and  smaller  craft  at  the  wharves  were  com- 
pletely imbedded  in  thick  masses  of  it.  The  steamboat  in 
which  we  started  was  large  and  commodious,  the  passengers 
numerous,  but  not  inconveniently  so,  and  we  breakfasted  in 
the  large  cabin  below  more  satisfactorily  than  we  had  done 
for  many  days  past  on  shore. 

Our  passage  down  the  harbour  was  very  interesting ;  and 
as  the  rising  sun  lighted  up  the  spires  and  public  buildings 
of  New- York,  and  the  forest  of  masts  that  fringed  the 
shores  of  the  island  on  either  side  began  to  display  their  nu- 
merous flags,  the  picture  became  as  lively  and  interesting  as 
it  was  at  our  first  approach  to  the  city  in  October  last.  A 
four  months'  residence  had  made  us  acquainted,  however, 
with  so  many  agreeable,  intelligent,  and  benevolent  individ- 
uals, with  whom  intimacy  had  grown  into  friendship,  that 
we  found  our  parting  look  upon  the  scene  of  so  much  sym- 
pathy and  pleasure  less  joyous  than  our  first  view  of  it ; 
and  we  left  behind  us  sincere  and  fervent  wishes  for  the 
peace  and  prosperity  of  their  city. 

The  ice  wt\s  so  th^ck  and  impassable  in  the  inner  channel 
to  Amboy  th&t  we  were  obliged  to  go  by  the  outer  channel, 
nearer  the  sea;  and,  sweeping  round  the  shore  of  Staten 


R4ILF0AD  TRAVEI.UN0.-C0WrENTI0W.  I75 

leZ%::CS:eli  t^^^^  f  «-?  A.boy  about 

pose,  we  set  forward  on  our  journev^'TW        '*''''  P"" 
so  comfortable  in  their  arran^^m-^^^*   .u    ®^®  °*"  «•■«  ««» 
English  railroad"       'key  afeve^l'  T  '''"  ""'!"»"«  °"  °"' 
ciently  broad  to  admit  rpUaJZhr^-^T"'^"'"''  «"ffi- 
of  which  is  a  ran^rof  Jn?«   ^  •    ^  *^^  '"*'^'^^^' ""  «ach  side 
capable  of  acSolt  nJ  tfoT  ""'''''  't'  ^''^^'^^  ««-»» 
faces  towards  th^^^^'e  i,^r„rr''  "^^"if'*  ^^^^  ^^'^'^ 
omnibuses  eenerallv      tL  nl         ?^'^^  ^^^'^  '^^^^'^  ^  in 
such  cross.s1,aron  each  8i3e  ?hp"  ""^^  ^"  '"*  ^^^  »^«"^y 
fore  contained  eighty  passen*'  ''?''f  P"''"^"'  ""**  *'^««- 

ges  through  v/hich  wp  nn«,«o^  "fuanwood,  and  the  few  villa- 
beautiful.^  The  drear/season  n/'  "?"''"  Picturesque  nor 

construction,  with  iron  stem  and  LT  uT  °^  ^  P^^"^^" 
literally  cut  mir  way  through  '^hf  i  i'  "^^"^^  ""  ^^^"^^^^  ^e 
places,^nd  broS  3  ™^«  ^^^^'^  ^»  «ome 

twelve  to  fifteen  inches  thtk  and  S  T""'  ?^  '*'''"  ^^«™ 
side  of  the  river,  wrLnded  at  Phf^^^ 
Apartments  were  pLded  ft  Li^^f^^  ^"^°'«  three, 

tel,  where  we  were'  met  by  I   arL'Lil  of"?'  ^r^'  ««" 

r^gr^tar^^  ^"  '^^  ^^^'  «x'2  tiirs"^^^^^^^ 

Sta^e"  ctv^^rLTsS  *^^-  to  the 

of  a  very  lona  session  anH  !  Philadelphia,  at  the  close 
sight.     Conventions  ?n'  A  ^  ™""^  ^''^t'tied  by  the 

the  delegates  o^thVwhol"'^^''  T^^^^  assemblies  of 
express  pSrose  of  llld  "  -^  "°P*''  '""'^  '^g^^^er  for  the 
lie  interest.     Such  a  one  -  th"!  '°"''  ^^'^  ^"^^"^'^^  ^^  P"b- 

therefore  ragarded  whh  thl      *'°?''  -^"^  '^''^^y'  ^"^  it  was 
garaea  with  the  greater  mtciest,  and  clothed 


176 


8TATB   OF  PENNSYLVANIA 


with  the  greater  importance.  No  Convention  for  the  re« 
vision  of  the  Constitution  had  sat  in  Philadelphia  since  the 
signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  nothing 
but  what  was  considered  an  urgent  and  general  desire  would 
have  led  to  the  organizing  such  an  assembly  at  all.  The 
present  Convention  was  called  to  consider  the  propriety  of 
revising  the  Constitution  of  Pennsylvania  ;  and  the  majority 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  state  being  in  favour  of  bome  re- 
vision, the  Convention  was  a  popular  measure.  The  Gen- 
eral Government  of  the  country  has  nothing  to  do  with  its 
formation.  It  originates  with,  and  is  conducted  wholly  by, 
the  people  of  the  state,  who,  through  its  machinery,  exer- 
cise this  revising  power.  The  delegates  are  elected  by  the 
inhabitants  of  each  county,  who  send  a  number  proportion- 
ed to  their  respective  population.  The  d«-'egates  chosen  are 
generally  the  most  intelligent  and  influential  men  of  the  dis- 
trict from  whence  they  come.  They  are  arm&d  with  full 
powers  of  deliberation  and  decision,  and  their  expenses  are 
paid  out  of  the  state  or  county  funds.  On  assembling,  they 
elect  their  own  president,  fix  their  own  order  of  proceed- 
ings and  times  of  sitting,  and  every  disputed  point  is  settled 
by  the  votes  of  the  majority. 

This  Convention  had  been  sitting  for  several  months  from 
day  to  day,  though  its  only  business  was  to  examine  the 
Constitution  of  Pennsylvania,  debate  each  provision  of  it  in 
detail,  propose  and  discusi?  amendments,  and  come  to  con- 
clusions by  votes  on  the  propositions  made.  This  was  the 
last  day  of  its  sitting,  and  its  proceedings  were  very  ani- 
mated, yet,  at  the  same  time,  dignified  and  orderly  in  a  high 
degree.  The  room  in  which  they  sat  was  the  Musical  Fund 
Hall,  occupying  an  arep  of  about  he  same  length,  but  at 
least  twice  the  breadth,  of  the  British  House  of  Commons 
(that  which  has  been  used  as  such  since  the  old  house  was 
burned) ;  an  area  capable  of  seating  comfortably  a  thou- 
sand persons.  This  room  was  n  ay  fitted  up  for  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Convention,  by  an  :'tvated  station  for  the  presi- 
dent, who  could  overlook  and  command  the  whole  cham- 
ber, by  a  competent  number  of  desks,  and  appropriate  seats 
for  the  members,  and  a  gallery  and  corridors  for  visiters 
and  strangers.  Several  gentlemen  spoke  on  variout^  amend- 
ments then  before  the  Convention,  and  did  so  always  with 
much  good  sense  and  </ten  with  great  ability.  There  was 
a  quiet  earnestness  about  the  whole  proc<^>edings  which  was 
calculated  to  make  the  most  favourable  impression  on  a 
stranger ;  and  in  the  Hall  itself,  the  costume  of  the  grave 


AMBRICAK  versus  BRITISH   CONSTITUTION.  ITf 

and  elderly  members,  the  tables  and  papers,  and  the  obiect 

nl  %rT^i^'  '^''''^^y  resembled  the  celebrated  Se 
of  "The  Declaration  of  Independence."  the  trtPathiFi^-i 

in  thi  !f  1*"^  '^^  ^*y  '^^  '^^'«^^  Constitution  was  signed  by 
ril  K-  ^^*«g**««  P'e^e^t.  the  will  of  the  majority  bfwthe 
law  binding  on  all;  and  in  this  altered  state  it  would  have 

le  taVenron^''^/'"P'^  ""'  *"««'  -^°-  vo^J!.  wouW 
aonrovpH  ZV  ^  i"*"^  F^"°^'  ^^«"'  ^^  ^he  majority 
approved  of  the  amendments  made,  it  would  become  the 
lawful  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvanira^d.  a^ 
Unton  '^^'^gni^ed  by  all  the  other  states  of  th^ 

By  such  a  proceeding  as  this,  the  sovereigmy  of  the  peo- 
v^  l^^'^^'^^y^^^^owledged  as  a  constitutbna  prE 
pie,  but  this  principle  is  carried  out  so  fully  in  practice  thL 
by  this  sovereignty  alone  it  is  determined  what  shaU  and 
what  shall  not  be  the  Constitution  itself.  yTso  12  from 
turbulence  and  disorder  being,  as  some  would 'pretend   Z 

startt?  T  '''"**  "^  P"'^^^  Democratic  assembTes"   mt; 
state  that  I  never  saw  any  proceedings  more  gravi   more 

c^rnti- Tp\?^^^^^^^^^^^   *^^  ^- ^^^'«  ^^ 

connected  with  the  Constitution  in  England   is  strTkS^ 

ou'rZr/   r.'  ^T''-     ^"'^"/  "'^  ^«^«  ConstitSX 
firp/n   t   ^%'^r^  states  of  the  Union,  there  is  nothing 

man  ll^'^/'  ^^'  "'  '°  '^^''  *"  '  «'^d'  accordingly,  evSf 
man  makes  of  our  unwritten  md  undefined  Constitutbn 
v^n^tever  he  pleases.     Hence  M  happens  that,  in  aS 
rr^rru'^l^Se  proposed  in  our  laws,  one'party  con 
tends  that  ths  change  is  unconstitutional,  while  throther  ^ 
warmly  insist.  *Vat  it  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  constit^ 
ional  prinupk        Twenty  times,  at  least,  wTthfnthfw 
twenty  years,  it  has  been  solemnly  asserted,^   if  ce,  aTn 
acts  of  Parliament  were  passed  info  laws  thev  wonld  hi  tho 
grossest  violations  of  the^  Brit..  C  ,\2^^^l^ 

Yet  thT'h'"""!^  '""^^'^  ^«  ""^^'^'y  annihilatedlnd  Vne  J 

mis  constitution,  as  far  as  one  can  understand  it  the  Whii 
,^t?^?rr:'r-«  ^«g-l-tors,  as  guardians  of  this'  tVS 
.iac.x.»i.,.jr,    "^^uemeir  voices  against  all"  organic  change,'* 


178 


STATE   OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 


and  indulge  in  predictions  that,  if  once  the  principle  be  ad- 
mittcd  that  organic  changes  are  either  desirable  or  practi- 
cable, a  revolution  is  begun,  and  anarchy  and  destruction 
must  inevitably  follow !     To  all  this  the  most  complete  an- 
swer is,  the  tranquil  history  of  an  American  Convention, 
called  by  the  people,  conducted  by  the  people,  its  proceed- 
ings ratified  by  the  people,  its  avowed  and  sanctioned  ob- 
ject being  to  effect  organic  changes  in  the  Constitution,  not 
such  as  the  rust  of  ages  and  the  accumulated  errors  of  cen- 
turies may  have  occasioned,  as  with  us,  but  such  as  the  ex- 
perience of  a  few  years  only  may  have  shown  to  be  neces- 
sary ;  and  all  this  carried  on,  from  its  opening  to  its  close, 
without  a  tenth  part  of  the  excitement  or  disorder  which 
occurs  in  some  single  nights  in  the  organic-change-resisting 
House  of  Commons  of  England. 

In  the  evening  we  attended  a  very  splendid  entertain- 
ment, called  a  Temperance  Festival,  got  up  in  honour  of 
my  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  and  intended  to  give  me  a  pub- 
lic welcome  in  America.  I  pass  over  the  flattering  corre- 
spondence, resolutions,  and  invitations  which  preceded  this 
meeting.  But  I  see  no  reason  why  some  account  should 
not  be  given  of  the  festival  itself,  which,  though  avowedly 
held  to  do  honour  to  myself,  and  thus  to  recognise  and  re- 
ward my  labours  in  the  cause  of  temperance  reform,  was 
also  intended  to  eftect  the  double  object  of  advocating  its 
gtesX  principles,  and  giving  a  public  ;?roo/ to  the  world  that 
it  is  really  practicable  to  entertain  a  large  assembly,  not 
merely  agreeably,  but  in  a  merry,  joyous,  and  convivial 
manner,  without  the  least  use  of  stimulating  drinks ;  a  fact 
which  many  had  declared  to  be  impossible,  and  which  few 
would  believe  without  such  a  demonstration  as  this. 

To  combine  ample  accommodation  with  elegance,  the 
Arch-street  Theatre  was  taken  for  this  occasion.  The  stage 
was  thrown  open,  and  tastefully  decorated  on  all  sides ;  the 
pit  was  boarded  over  on  a  level  with  the  stage,  and  the 
boxes  and  galleries  were  left  in  their  usual  condition.  An 
excellent  band  of  music  was  in  attendance ;  ample  refresh- 
ments, of  great  elegance  and  variety,  were  provided,  and 
every  preparation  was  made  for  an  imposing  as  well  as 
agTeeable  f^te.  Before  we  arrived,  indeed,  the  popularity 
of  the  entertainment  had  reached  so  high,  that,  though  the 
price  of  admis!*ion  was  a  dollar  each,  2000  tickets  were  free- 
ly sold,  and  on  the  last  day  tht  tickets  went  up  to  a  premi- 
um of  ten  dollars  each,  and  even  at  that  price  none  at  last 
coiUd  be  obtained,  so  that  many  hundreds  were  excluded 


TBMPBHANCE   FSSTIYAI.. 


179 


for  want  of  room.  Of  the  meeting  itself,  as  I  was  the 
promment  object  of  it,  and  principal  speaker  of  thTeven 
mg,  I  shall  nut  give  a  description,  but  I  will  transfer  fln^ 
the  eolnmns  of  the  three  leading  papers  of  Phtdelphk 
the  opmions  entertained  by  their  conductors,  who  e  3^ 
ities  would  have  no  probable  bias  in  our  favour.  The  fo 
lowmg  is  from  the  United  States  Gazette  of  February  23d : 
"  The  demonstration  in  favour  of  the  cause  of  f  Amnn..o«„„  i  ' . 

™i  waa  listened  u,  .hr„„ghoSri«e  mS'flll'SnTaSSn     H« 
dwelt  with  much  emphas  s  on  the  imnortance  nf  tpmnlro^      ■  "® 

tinjr  the  prosperity  and  happiness  ofSkrndadvSr^thV^^ 
ani  misery,  the  beggared  victims  and  raiS  fam^iI^  r "^^H.^L'rT'^^ 
temperance,  and  bringing  forward,  in  the  cSursTo^hi    Id  ''^^^^^     S" 

^^T^^Z^l^-^'  -^  other  ^JSes  .;SiSLSj 

"Mr.  Buckingham  mentioned,  in  suDoort  of  thU  nnrtm«  «r  la- 
ment, that,  while  officiating  as  chairman  of  a  comrtfpf  .n    ^'I^a^' 

250,000,000  of  dollars.  But  SeTk  i„  iira™  iSllTaStn  „.hi'°*'  °' 
es  not  enumerated,  but  proeeediiw  d  SiiidirP^f  Iv  f™  •''r  """'^ 
ance  would  s»eU  this  amount  to^a  tnue™  ?re  eSrlJ^  -T.T'*.''- 

noticed  Edward  C.  Delavan,  Esq.,  of  SSiS^^^llvSir'i^^^l^ 
-=q..  ui  iiauiraore.    other  resolutions  and  address'e^ were  delivered 


180 


ftTATB   or   NBW-TORK. 


by  several  of  onr  own  townsmen,  which  the  lateness  of  the  hour  to 
which  the  exercises  extended  prevents  our  making  any  particular  men^ 
tion  of.  A  variety  of  music  was  interspersed  throughout  the  evening, 
and  the  ladies  were  served  with  refreshments,  of  which  the  supply  was 
abundant.  Altogether,  this  great  festival  was  one  which  the  friends  of 
temperance  will  have  reason  to  congratulate  themselves  upon." 

This  was  the  testimony  borne  to  the  character  of  the 
meeting  on  the  morning  after  it  was  held.  It  was  appre- 
hended, however,  that  on  the  succeeding  day  something  of 
a  different  nature  might  appear ;  for  here,  as  everywhere 
else,  large  interests  are  at  war  with  the  temperance  reform- 
ation ;  and  all  who  make^  or  sell,  or  consume  intoxicating 
drinks,  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  natural  enemies  of  tem- 
perance societies;  and  their  influence  over  the  press  might, 
we  thought,  be  sufficient  to  enlist  at  least  one  paper  in  their 
causci.  But  no  champion  appeared  for  them.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day,  February  24th,  this  was  the  editorial  article  of 
the  Pennsylvanian  : 

"  The  Temperance  Festival  at  the  Arch-street  Theatre  on  Thursday 
evening  was  truly  a  brilliant  aflfair,  and,  we  should  think,  must  have  far 
exceeded  even  the  expectations  of  those  who  were  most  active  in  get- 
ting up  an  entertainment  in  every  respect  so  novel.  At  least  we  can  say, 
for  our  own  part,  that  on  entering  we  were  much  surprised  at  observ- 
ing the  appearance  presented  by  the  theatre,  which  was  never  before 
graced  by  the  presence  of  so  large  an  audience.  Not  only  were  the 
first  and  second  rows  of  boxes  completely  filled  with  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen, but  the  numerous  benches  upon  the  extensive  area  obtained  by 
flooring  over  the  pit  and  the  stage  was  likewise  literally  crowded,  from 
the  front  to  the  back  of  the  house,  and  many  were  obliged  to  content 
themselves  with  the  standing-room  of  the  avenues  left  for  entering  and 
retiring.  The  concourse  of  ladies  was  very  great ;  and,  altogether,  in- 
dependent of  the  purpose  of  the  assemblage,  it  was  well  v/orth  the  visit 
to  see  the  unusual  and  elegant  aspect  offered  by  the  theatre  on  the  oc- 
casion. 

"  The  officers  of  the  meeting  occupied  an  elevated  stand  under  the 
proscenium,  from  which  position  Mr.  Buckingham,  the  celebrated  lec- 
turer, addressed  the  company.  He  spoke  upward  of  two  hours,  and  it 
has  rarely  been  our  fortune  to  hear  an  address  which  gave  more  satis- 
faction, or  more  completely  riveted  the  attention.  As  a  speaker,  he  pos- 
sesses remarkable  ease,  fluency,  and  readiness,  combined  with  a  grace- 
ful, unaflected  manner,  which  invests  his  subject  with  additional  inter- 
est, and  immediately  enlists  the  feelings  of  the  hearer.  His  address 
was  characterized  by  great  variety.  The  occasional  statistical  detail 
was  relieved  by  the  fervent  appeal  and  the  pertinent  anecdote,  and  again 
the  speaker  would  indulge  in  a  humorous  delineation  of  the  difficulties 
which  beset  his  path,  especially  in  the  British  House  of  Commons, 
when  setting  forth  as  a  pioneer  in  the  cause  of  total  abstinence.  The 
sketches  of  scenes  of  this  nature  were  dashed  off  with  a  vividness  and 
graphic  force,  and,  at  the  same  time,  with  a  freedom  from  all  appearance 
of  straining  at  effect,  which  rendered  them  truly  delightful,  and  elicited, 
as  indeed  the  speech  did  throughout,  the  most  enthusiastic  applause.  It 
is  a  difficult  matter  to  dx  the  attention  of  a  large  and  mixed  audience 

for  nnv  Innoth  nf  timn.  i^snppinllv  ivhr>n.  sir  in  it.  thnntrn    fhpir  roattAiia- 


TEMPERANCE   FESTIVAL. 


181 


ness  does  not  subject  them  to  observation  •  on<i  :>  ™.,»»  u 
gratifying  to  Mr.  Buckingham  TlehTpe-^^'VL^^^^^^^  ^^^Y 

'i'he  only  feehng  among  his  hearers  whei    .    h«H  onn  i   i  ^'' ™^P®*'*- 
of  regret  that  hil  remarf  s  were  not  exTended  co  a  greater  £^^ 
Buch^advocates.  the  cause  he  has  espoused  cZr^TinZlL,  7.^ 

:?^S"'=^t£^2i.^-Se^&S^ 
Zu^'JT"^  "^Jf^"'"  the^vening,  might  h^^rbS  curtail  wiih  ad" 
lT^iso'^^^l^^oV^Zr'^-^^^^^^       ^^^  zeal  We^J^akt 

confrn%ra^d^'u^Ze^f^^^^^^^^^^ 

Buckingham;  and  all  who  were  present  seemed  to  iTavP.KTh.^" 
affi.^h""'''''  ^'"^  '^^  occurrences  of  the  evening  Mr  Bu  k?ngham 
at  least,  has  every  reason  to  felicitate  himself  upon  the  effect  of  hKt 
public  appearance  among  the  Philadelphians."  enectof  his  first 

A  third  paper,  the  Pennsylvania  Herald,  contained  a  stiU 
longer  article  than  any  of  its  contemporaries.  The  follow- 
ing,  which  i«  but  a  small  portion  of  the  whole,  will  show  the 
concurrent  opmions  of  the  Philadelphia  press  : 

=  SSrS[i^Sf.o^rZ^^^ 
had  been  floored  over,  was  compfetel^oSSri^reV  Jt  asrembla!.? 

send  a  thrill  of  delight  to  every  bosom,  and  reanimate  the  chpS  «? 
every  fnend  of  the  cause.  It  is  estimated  that  nSs  than  2oSn5 
sons  could  have  been  present.    Among  these,  citizens  o^V^TT""' 

se"x  whoTthPv"'^'  *"'  ^  '^'^«  P'oportion'o^/K  re/an'd  Vi' 
sex,  who,  by  their  presence,  gave  an  additional  charm,  and  lent  f  mn^ 
refined  sanction  to  the  scene.    The  dress  circle  was  pSularlt  hwi? 

upon  the  animated  scene,  or  have  reflected  with  SLr  tha^  benevoS 
feelings  upon  the  elevated  objects  of  that  festival.  benevolent 

Mr.  buckmgham  concluded  his  most  eloquent,  diversifipd  nnworf„i 

!^s  ^Z:iT''^^i'^'''!!'y  «''P'-^^«'"g  '»  waZ  and  affSna^te  teS 
his  grateful  and  heartfelt  acknowledgments  for  the  high  honou?  Sh 
had  been  conferred  upon  him  in  this  'City  of  Brotherlv  W°    Mr  ? 

'""  fcnll!"^  '^'  "'"™u^«^  demonstratio^ns  of  a^pS.  '•  ^'  ^' 
V    i!^,     !?P?,"y  ^^'■e  then  addressed  by  Mr.  E .  C  Delavan  nf  Mo«, 

,  .  jj.^ ■^•^  ««» no  uimaary  aegree  01  interest." 

16 


182 


STATE   OF   MARYLAND. 


We  remained  over  the  next,  day  at  Philadelphia,  to  rest 
after  our  labours,  and  to  see  the  very  numerous  friends  who 
called  to  pay  us  visits  of  respect.  We  saw  but  little  of  the 
city  now,  however,  as  it  was  our  intention  to  return  here  and 
pass  the  month  of  May. 

On  the  morning  of  Saturday,  the  24th,  we  set  out  on  our 
journey  to  Baltimore ;  and,  being  taken  by  four-horse  om- 
nibuses to  the  station  of  the  railroad,  about  three  miles  out 
of  Philadelphia,  we  there  got  into  large  cars,  similar  to 
those  in  which  we  came  from  /Vmboy,  and  proceeded  at 
about  the  same  rate,  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  per  hour,'on 
our  way. 

The  country  was  still  covered  with  snow,  and  still  pre- 
sented the  same  dreary  and  monotonous  aspect  of  unculti- 
vated soil  and  small  brushwood  surface.  When  we  arrived 
opposite  to  Wilmington,  a  pretty  large  town  of  from  eight 
to  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  a  deputation  came  out  to  meet 
me,  headed  by  the.  venerable  Judge  Hall,  to  entreat  that,  on 
my  return  from  the  South,  I  would  pass  an  evening  with 
them,  and  devote  it  to  a  temperance  meeting,  which  I  read- 
11)  promised  to  do  if  practicable. 

From  hence  we  proc  t'rd  on  our  way,  and  soon  after 
passed  over  the  bouno  :  i  ae  between  the  free  and  the 
slave  states,  passing  c  ■ ;  'J  e  last  of  the  former,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  entering  ilie  ilv-t  of  the  latter  in  going  south, 
Delaware.  From  thence  <.•  e  soon  after  entered  Maryland; 
and  in  both  of  these  it  seemed  to  all  our  party  that  we  could 

gerceive  a  marked  difference  in  the  wretchedness  of  the 
uts  or  dwellings,  the  bad  state  of  the  fences,  and  the  slov- 
enly and  neglected  appearance  of  the  whole  country,  from 
the  free  states  through  which  we  had  approached  the  slave- 
holding  territory. 

After  crossing  several  streams,  by  long,  low  bridges,  and 
one  by  a  magnificent  floating-house  propelled  by  steam,  we 
entered  Baltimore  about  half  past  two,  having  thus  per- 
formed the  journey  from  New- York  to  Philadelphia,  a  dis- 
tance of  ninety-six  miles,  in  seven  hours,  and  from  Phila- 
delphia to  Baltimore,  about  the  same  distance,  in  six  hours 
and  a  half,  at  the  very  low  rates  of  three  dollars  each  for 
the  first  journey,  and  four  dollars  each  for  the  second. 

At  Baltimore  we  were  met  by  a  party  of  gentlemen,  who 
had  prepared  apartments  for  our  reception  and  provided  a 
handsome  dinner  for  our  refreshment.  After  partaking  this 
with  them,  and  enjoying  some  rest,  we  attended  a  temper- 
ance meeting  in  the  Methodist  Chapel,  where,  after  an  open- 


.  % 


DFPARTURB    i     R    WASl 


TON. 


183 


ing  prayer  by  the  Methodi     bishop  ffor  these  were  Episco- 
pal  Methodisio;,  and  a  speech  from  the  Rev.  Robert  Brack- 
enridge,  ot  Baltimc,  e,  I  ^vas  o  eupied  for  about  two  hours 
in  addressmg  the  auditory  on      e  temperance  question,  and 
advooatmg  the  principles  of  total  abstinence  from  all  that 
can  in  oxicate  ns  the  only  basis  on  which  any  great  reform 
can  be  eflected  ai.ong  the  masses  of  the  people  gv     rally 
We  remained  ai  Baltimore  during  the  Sunday,  attendin 
Jie  Methodkt  Chupel  in  the  morning,  and  the  Epis. 
Church  in  the  afterm.on ;  and  the  contrast  between  the 
ship  in  these  was  very  striking  indeed.     In  the  form 
was  simplicity,  earnestness,  und  warmth  of  devotion  ;  ^ 

latter  all  was  o' -ntatious,  cold,  formal,  and  unimpre  ;. 
Yet  the  Episcopal  i  luirch  was  attended  by  a  large  congre- 
^tioj  )f  gay  and  fashionable  visiters,  while  in  the  Meth- 
udif  Uhurch  the  poor  ul  the  humble  formed  the  majority 
of  he  worshippers.     ]  were,  no  doubt,  suited  according 

to  .heir  tastes  ;  for,  wl  i  the  Methodist  service  there  was 

evf-rything  adapted  to  give  consolation  to  the  truly  devout, 
in  rhc  Episcopal  there  was  nothing  that  could  offend  the 
most  fastidious  taste,  or  disturb  the  self-complacence  of  those 
who  needed  only  a  pastime,  without  much  thought  or  feel- 
mg,  and  who  found  what  they  sought. 

On  Monday,  February  26,  we  left  Baltimore  for  Wash- 
mgton  by  the  railroad,  starting  at  nine  o'clock ;  and,  after 
traversing  as  dreary  and  uninteresting  a  tract  of  country  as 
that  over  which  we  had  passed  on  the  two  preceding  jour- 
neys, we  reached  Washington,  a  distance  of  thjrty-six  miles 
in  three  hours,  arriving  there  about  twelve  o'clock.  ' 

It  may  be  remarked,  as  a  striking  proof  of  the  prevalence 
of  fires  in  all  the  great  cities  of  this  country,  that  on  the 
morning  of  our  leaving  New- York  there  was  a  ery  large 
fire  ;  on  the  first  night  of  our  sleeping  in  Phila  '  ilphia  t'  ere 
was  also  a  great  fire ;  on  the  night  of  our  a.  ival  in  Balti- 
more  there  was  a  fire  that  consumed  several  houses  within 
a  few  doors  of  the  inn  where  we  slept ;  and  on  the  day  of 
our  reaching  Washington  there  was  also  a  great  fire.  Such 
a  succession  of  fires  as  these  could  hardly  be  found  to  be  in 
the  track  of  a  traveller  in  any  part  of  the  world  except  this  ; 
at  least  I  remember  nothing  like  it  in  all  my  travels  in  other 
countries. 


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184 


WASHINOTON. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

* -VW^^I'hn'H]?;:::';!!"?''  *'■  ^?^^  rfCongrew  who  had  been  shot  in  >  Duel, 
ocene.— Effect  on  the  Auditora.— Pnbhcation  of  an  Address  to  both  Houses  on  Du- 
eUing-State  Tempcnmco  Meeting  of  Members  of  ConareM._8pee^h  k  !S  HalUf 
£Sr^l^y.!t7  w"  "/Thfnk'.jnd  Resolution  to  publish  the  We  -Commence: 
^  o  ^'"*» '"  Wa8hmgton.-LeUer  on  the  Subject  of  Siave  Abolition -Ad"er. 
if^..^***"^  ^"'  '""•'''»  Slaves.-Offer  of  Purchaie  by  Sla"e.de.tera.-Prejudke 
of  native  Americans  s^nst  Foreigners -Illustration  of  this  in  an  Sr  Wash- 
WtT,!"'^''  V^Jl"*  fTrst pr"j;iDg.roomof  .he  Ptesident-Diwription  »d  ChaS 

'«;vfclKi^n5"*'"*'!Si'",?'*'"'-'^'i  *^'"?«"'  *»*•'«»"  distinction,  freefy  admitted.-Re. 
markable  Order  and  Decorum  of  so  mixed  an  Assemblage.  »"mneu. 

On  the  day  after  our  reaching  Wajhington  (February  27), 
we  were  present  at  a  very  melancholy  and  imposing  ceremo- 
ny, m  the  Hall  of  Representatives  in  the  Capitol,  the  funeral 
of  one  of  the  members  of  the  Legislature,  who  had  been  shot 
dead  m  a  duel  by  a  brother  member  oa  the  preceding  Sat- 
urday.    The  circumstances  of  this  affair  were  briefly  these  • 
Mr.  Jonathan  Cilley,  member  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives from  the  State  of  Maine,  had  used  some  language  in 
debate  which  gave  offence  to  Colonel  James  Watson  Webb 
the  editor  of  the  New- York  Courier  and  Enquirer ;  on  which 
Colonel  Webb  came  on  to  Washington,  and  sent  a  message 
by  his  friend  Mr.  William  Graves,  representative  from  Ken- 
tucky, demanding  to  know  of  Mr.  Cilley  whether  he  had 
used  the  words  reported  to  be  said  by  him,  and,  if  so,  call- 
mg  on  him  to  give  satisfaction.     Mr.  Cilley  declined  ac- 
knowledging his  accountabiUty  to  any  man  out  of  the  House 
for  words  spoken  under  the  privilege  of  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  m  debate ;  and  added  also  that  he  was  deter- 
mined not  to  get  mto  a  controversy  with  Colonel  Webb. 
Mr.  Graves  insisted  on  it  that  his  was  an  insinuation  against 
the  honour  of  his  friend,  and  he  demanded  that  Mr.  Cilley 
should  acknowledge  Colonel  Webb  to  be  a  man  of  honour 
and  a  gentleman.     This  Mr.  Cilley  declined  to  do,  saying 
he  would  express  no  opinion  either  way  as  to  the  character 
ol  Colonel  Webb,  as  he  did  not  regard  himself  as  in  any 
degree  responsible  to  him  or  to  any  other  man  for  his  con- 
duct as  a  member  of  the  House.     Upon  this  Mr.  Graves 
who  had  no  previous  quarrel  with  Mr.  Cilley  on  his  own  ac- 
count, thought  it  his  duty  to  challenge  Mr.  Cilley  to  the  field, 
to  wipe  out  the  insinuation  against  the  character  of  Colonei 
Webb.     Mr.  Cilley  at  first  hesitated,  saying  he  had  the  high- 
est respect  for  Mr.  Graves,  and  should  regret  exceedingly 


FATAL  OITEL. 


185 


any  difference  between  them ;  but  he  was  left  no  alternative 
and  unfortunately  yielded  to  the  demand.  They  accord' 
ingly  went  out,  provided  with  the  weapons  agreed  uoon 
nfles,  and  under  the  direction  of  their  respecX  secS' 
^  were  placed  at  eighty  yards'  distance.  After  thefirsrsho? 
mstead  of  being  withdrawn  by  the  seconds,  which  would 
certain  y  have  been  done  in  Europe,  there  was  a  d^X?!^ 

Lur'h Ts'::if  tLT"^  ^"''  afterVpause of  morelhanon" 
nou.,  It  18  said,  they  were  made  to  fire  a  second  time  eaoh 

Deing  nurt  by  the  second  fire,  a  second  parley  was  held 
which  lasted  even  longer  than'the  former,^and  at  the  S 
tn^n  A  '^^rf'"^^^  ^ho  acted  as  second  to  Mr.  Graved 
Soir'^K '.''"/  *^t«««o«d  of  Mr.  Cilley  acceded  to  the  pro! 
?W  d 'shot  i:Tr  P'7""^  ^'"^^  «'  ^^-'l-d  aKe 
shortened  Thf  ?'!f\''''r""  '^^  combatants  should  be 
m  Cmt  who  '^'  «.^°^  however,  produced  the  death  of 
bodv  wn^'  T  f  ,'  '^^''^^^^"g  his  antagonist's  ball  through  the 
body,  was  a  lifeless  corpse  in  five  minutes  after  he  feufleav! 

%17a    ffl'''''  ?^°""g  children  to  mourn  his  loss  ' 
oni  ♦?    ?         ,  ^?*''*®**  ^  Sresi^  sensation  among  all  classes 

this  mtnrnrl'^  '''  ^^^^"^^  '^'^"^  ^"^^  to^ake  place 
uiis  morning,  the  ceremony  to  commence  in  the  House  of 

Representatives,  the  hall  ^as  filled  at  a  very  eariv  hour 

We  went  there  with  a  party  of  friends  as  early  a^s  ten  o'oS; 

and  before  eleven  every  part  of  the  building  was  filled  the 

W  part  of  the  halJ  by  members  and  pefsons  connected 

with  the  pubhc  establishments,  the  galleries  around  wUh  fa- 

dies  and  gentlemen,  residents  of  the  city,  and  strangers  or 

visiters ;  and  the  profound  silence  that  eve  y where  prfvdied 

produced  a  solemnity  that  was  deeply  affecting.   T  twelve 

o'clock  the  chanr  was  taken  by  the  Sr  eaker  ff  the  nTuse 

when  the  corpse  of  the  deceased  was  brought  in   and  de' 

posited  on  a  bier  in  front  of  the  speaker's  chS     The  mer^' 

iTr    ,li^  ®'"^''  '^^"  entered,  and  took  the  r  stations?!^ 
front  of  the  representatives.     After  these  came  tL  iuZs  of 

eSTL?"*' j'7  ^l'^  heads  of  deparTliits'anI  sec 
dent  of  tf/rrf  ;!"«;  lastly  the  President  and  Vice-presi- 

the  cln  'Jiuf  ?h??'V  ^^°  "^'^  ''^''^  «»  ^««h  side  of 
xne  coinn,  while  the  chief  mourners,  consistinc  of  the  on\ 

menbers  o7t,l,  i  ' '"  '^""  T'lT"  "'  ™°"ning-    AH  the 
"ape  tends  o„  ,h  ^°TT'  ""*  '"."'^  P*""  "ff^^".  "ore 

Vol.  I. — A  a 


^B1 

r 


186 


WASHINGTON. 


The  proceedings  were  opened  by  an  extemporaneous 

prayer  from  the  chaplain  of  the  Seftate,  which  was  solemn 

and  appropriate.     After  this  followed  a  funeral  address  by 

the  chaplam  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  who,  with 

great  feeling,  adverted  to  the  melancholy  spectacle,  and  an- 

imadverted  upon  its  cause,  and  deprecated,  with  great  bold- 

ness  and  force,  the  false  sentiment  of  honour  and  the  vitia- 

ted  state  of  public  opinion  out  of  which  this  fatal  duel  had 

origmated;  and  It  appeared  to  me  that,  so  entirely  was  the 

leeling  of  the  House  and  general  auditory  in  favour  of  the 

reverend  doctor's  views,  if  a  proposition  could  have  been 

submitted  at  that  moment  in  favour  of  the  legal  suppression 

ol  this  cruel  practice,  under  any  penalties  that  could  be 

amxed.  It  would  have  met  with  the  unanimous  assent  of  all 

present. 

About  one  o'clock  the  mournful  procession  moved  off 
^a^l  f*u-?^.  Representatives,  to  convey  the  unfortunate 
V  ctim  of  this  false  code  of  honour  to  the  silent  tomb  ;  and 
at  this  pomt  of  the  proceedings  there  was  scarcely  a  dry  eve 

.T^^u  ?if  "P^r"'/**™^-  ^°'  ™y««l^'  I  ^««  ^  inipress- 
^vl  *^,Vf*y«^.  contributing,  by  every  means  within 
my  power,  to  the  cherishing  and  keeping  alive  the  sentiment 
hLT^^*"^  to  duellmg  which  this  tragical  occurrence 
^n?.,  r  i    /^/,!  T  '?^^S  to  my  room,  I  addressed 

notes  to  several  of  the  leadmg  members  of  bolh  houses,  en- 

^iT/t*  tT^^  ""^  T  ^^^JT  r!!^"^  I  ^^^  °^"««d  to  be  pre- 
sented to  the  members  of  both  houses  of  the  British  PaSia- 
menttemg  the  last  session  of  my  being  a  member,  entitled 
1^' f T  u'  H^''^^''''^  Interference  to  prevent  the  Prac- 
tice  of  Duellmg,"  preparatory  to  a  bill  which  I  had  announ- 

^ffirtl'"*^?' ''"i''  u-^^J"i°  *^^  H*'"^^  °^  Commons  to 
effect  this  end,  and  which,  had  circumstances  enabled  me  to 
continue  longer  a  member  of  that  assembly,  I  should  have 
presented  to  the  House  for  its  consideration 

By  some  of  my  friends,  to  whom  this  address  was  shown 
It  was  strongly  recommended  to  publish  it  at  once  ;  but  bv 
others  It  was  thought  that  the  intrusion  of  the  sentiments  of  a 
stranger  and  a  foreigner  at  such  a  moment  as  this  would  be 
thought  an  interference,  and  be  regarded  with  jealousy  by 
many.  These  aifferences  were  happily  compromised,  how- 
ever  by  my  friend  Mr.  Delavan,  of  Albany,  addressing  me 
a  letter,  asking  my  permission  for  him  to  publish  it  as  an 
American  citizen,  he  feeling  it  his  duly  to  his  country  to  call 
then:  attention  to  the  subject  at  this  particular  moment ;  and 
1  was,  of  course,  too  happy  to  comply  with  this  request.    It 


CONORESSIONAL  TEMPERANCE    SOCIETY  1»7 

r'  ,^°°°'^'"gly  arranged  that  this  address  on   duelling 
Bhoula  be  pnnted  m  as  many  newspapers  of  the  country  af 
could  be  prevailed  upon  to  insert  it,  preceded  by  the  Sre 
spondence  between  Mr.  Delavan  and  myself,  toLcoum  for 
Us  reissue  at  the  present  moment ;  and  a  certain  nuniber  of 
copies  were  agreed  to  be  furnished  to  each  member  of  both 
houses  of  Congress,  to  frankonward  to  his  constituents  so  that 
by  this  means  the  address  would  find  its  way  to  XTa'r  eVs  of 
the  Union,  and  thus  lead  to  the  expression  of  pubinpinfon 
which  acting  on  the  legislators  here,  might  lea^d  to  theZss' 
ing  of  some  effective  law  for  the  slippfession,  a^^once  ^d 
nrnor''  f  f  ."T^  ^"^^''°"«  ^»  its  origin, 'absurd  in^te 
ftenZlT  ^"^""^  '"^""^'^°"^  ^"  '^'  coSequences  whiih 

held  iJl^'thrH'S^  .°^i,*^^  '^™"  ^^y  ^  ^^^g«  "meeting  was 
held  in  the  Hall  of  Representatives,  where  the  solemn  fu- 

take  i  naft  1TF"'T^  Society,  at  which  I  was  invited  to 
«1  ♦    ?^  V    "*  ^°'  *^^  P^'P''^^  °^  which,  indeed,  my  iour- 
ney  to  Washmgton  was  ■„  dertaken  at  this  particu  ar  peS 
The  society  named  abc  .  is  composed  wholly  of  members 
?nrl°      ^?"'T  °^  ?°"^"«^'  «°^  *he  anniversaryTf  ils 

3^  t^  I  •        '  °^  course,  gives  great  interest  and  impor- 

ance  to  .heir  proceedings,  and  induces  the  country  geS- 

t^  TtV^"'  movements  with  more  than  ordiLfy "nx- 

lety      On  the  present  occasion,  the  Ho:  Durable  Felix  Grun- 

t/;  nh "?'"'''?  ?'  *^"  ®""^^^  *"^«°^  Tennessee,  presided  ?n 
the  chair,  and  the  meet^^g  was  held  in  the  Hdl  of  ReprL^ 

SeZrr'h"'  h'^"^  ^^'^^^  ""^  "^°^«  commodious  thanThe 
Senate  Chamber;  yet  senators  as  weU  as  representatives 
took  part  m  the  proceedings,  by  moving  and  sLondingIhe 
resolutions  submitted  to  the  assembly.  ^The  attendance  of 
members  was  unusually  large,  notwiUstanding   he  absorp! 

the  day      lLI:  "f  ?.  *^'  ™°"^"¥  ^""^'^^  cLmoniesTf 
^L   Z'  r   u  °^  *^^  principal  families  in  Washington 

with  many  of  the  cabinet  and  public  officers    were  ^?«n 

c?ui3Ch,'".'^^°^^^  "^^^'  ^"^^" '-g  thosf  Lthe7allert 
Twn,  n      ^  ^r^  ^""^  ^"'^  *^^"  ^  thousand  persons.     Is 
n  J  nf  ?r'P^''^^  ^"^"Sed  that  I  should  occupy  the  g;eater 
part  of  the  evenmg  with  my  address,  the  speeches  of  ?he  va 
nous  members  who  preceded  me  were  vLy  sh^  shorle; 

W  hetTtheTe'r''  '^^^"!  '  ^^^"^^  ^-^  bee^glad  t" 
nave  ''^^'^ ^ThLr  !™°"^  arguments  of  othersf  espe- 

-  -IS  a_dress  will  be  givea  ia  the  Appendu,  No.  III. 


188 


WA81IIN0T0N. 


cially  members  of  the  American  Congress,  on  this  subject. 
Unfortunately,  I  laboured  under  so  severe  a  hoarseness,  from 
cold  and  much  speaking,  that  I  doubted  whether  I  should 
be  heard  at  all.     I  was  placed,  however,  in  the  most  favour- 
able position  for  being  heard,  as  I  occupied  an  elevation  im- 
mediately in  front  of  thtf  speaker's  chair ;  and  as  the  mem- 
bers' seats  are  arranged  semicircularly  above  and  behind  each 
other,  as  in  a  lecture-room,  while  the  galleries,  which  were 
filled  with  strangers,  extended  all  around  the  circumference 
at  the  base  of  the  dome,  all  could  see  and  hear  nearly  equal- 
ly well ;  and  my  voice  getting  stronger  and  clearer  as  I 
proceeded,  my  address  extended  to  nearly  two  hours  in 
length.    It  was  listened  to  throughout  with  an  earnestness 
of  attentidn  which  bespoke  the  deepest  interest  on  the  part 
of  the  hearers,  and  was  honoured  with  a  formal  vote  of 
thanks,  communicated  to  me  by  the  president  in  the  most 
flattering  terms,  accompanied  by  a  resolution  that  the  speech, 
as  taken  down  by  the  official  reporter  of  the  House,  who 
was  in  attendance  for  that  purpose,  should  be  printed  and 
circulated  as  widely  as  possible  over  all  the  United  States. 

On  the  Tuesday  following,  March  6,  I  commenced  my 
course  of  lectures  on  the  Scriptural  and  Classical  Countries 
of  the  East,  in  the  first  Presbyterian  Church  in  Four-and-a- 
half-street,  in  that  part  of  Washington,  near  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Avenue,  where  the  residences  of  members  of  Congress 
chiefly  lie ;  and  I  was  much  gratified  by  the  very  large  at- 
tendance of  that  class,  as  well  as.  of  the  cabinet  ministers, 
of  foreign  ambassadors,  and  of  most  of  the  leading  families 
at  this  legislative  capital  of  the  Union.     This  was  the  more 
agreeable  from  its  being  wholly  unexpected.     As  we  were 
now  in  the  greatest  slave-mart  of  the  country,  where  it  was 
certain  that  my  opinions  respecting  slavery  would  be  well 
known,  and  as  great  alarm  is  felt  here  at  the  very  name  of 
abolition,  arising  out  of  the  attempts  lately  made  to  prevail 
on  Congress  to  exercise  their  power  in  abolishing  slavery  in 
the  District  of  Columbia,  in  Avhich  Washington  is  situated, 
I  was  prepared  to  expect  both  open  and  covert  attacks  on 
this  subject,  and  was  equally  ready  to  meet  the  consequen- 
ces.    Among  other  indications  of  the  private  hostility  I  was 
likely  to  experience  on  this  head,  I  received  the  following 
letter,  which  confirmed  all  I  had  anticipated  ;  and  of  public 
hostility,  in  addition  to  the  share  I  was  sure  to  encounter 
in  common  with  native  abolitionists,  the  fact  of  my  being 
a  foreigner  was  here  prominently  put  forward  as  an  objeo- 


HORROR  OF   ABOLITIONISTS.  IQQ 

Jl.?i!«  *^®  ^T^T**^^^  reception  of  my  labours.    But  first  of 
the  letter,  which  was  as  follows  : 

a,-     »pk„„„.        ,  ..  "^■•nctofColombia,  March  6, 1838 

which  it  becon^^fyou  as  a^rS^^p/?'  '"*".°°  *  *"^j«'»  respecting 
circumsnPi.iir;n     Aj&K^'       a  foreigner,  to  conduct  yourself  with  areat 

done  for  t.m  ™„„g  .  p«,p,.  .^e,  ^.o^  Sli'l^jr^Sfbl', 

pe^oSLt^plSC""'  "  ''""'  '"*"*'  ""I"*"'  "^  «"  y<™'  «•» 

"  Accept  the  best  wishes  of 
"  J.  S.  Buckingham,  Esq."  "  ^^  ^"""'can. 

tJ,,?"/'!''^"''"^  '"  T^  *I"^'*«"  «s  were,  open  to  me,  I  found 
mv  n Sr^^K  "°"^''".'.^  '  ^'^  *^°"gh  it  f°'™«d  «;  part  of 

ever  much  I  wished  it  success,  in  this  country  as  wel  as  in 
all  others,  this  letter  may  be  offered  as  a  proof  of  the  invet" 
erate  bostihty  of  slave-holding  states  to  all  persons  known 

whTthnrJ""  '^^'""^^  ^""°"^^^^«  ^«  negro'emanciparn" 
whether  they  give  utterance  to  them  or  not.     The  defend- 

reLlt;7  ^".*^'^r"ry  P^°^^««'  i"^-^'  that  the'?  onFy 
reason  lor  opposing  the  dootrinpa  nf  oKoijtipw, ,%.  -.  i^-i.-r.uA 


190 


WASHINGTON. 


their  slaves  are  more  happy  in  their  bondage  than  they 
would  be  if  free ;  that  they  therefore  do  not  wish,  for  the 
sake  of  the  slaves  themselves,  that  their  happiness  should 
be  disturbed,  though  they  add  they  are  perfectly  sure  that 
the  slaves  do  not  desire  freedom,  and  would  not  accept  it  if 
it  were  offered  to  them. 
.  The  best  answer  to  such  assertions  as  these  is  to  be  found 
m  the  fact  that  the  slaves  would  not  only  take  their  free- 
dom gladly  if  offered  them,  but  that  they  often  take  it  with- 
out, and  at  the  risk  of  incurring  severe  punishment ;  as  the 
foUowmg  advertisements,  all  taken  from  the  Washington 
Intelligencer  of  March  5th,  1838,  will  show. 

^"  200  Dollars  Reward— catch  him  where  you  can— will  be  eiven  bv 
the  Bubscnber  for  the  apprehension  and  delivery  to  me,  or  secured  in 
jail  so  that  I  get  him  again,  of  a  negro  man  Henry,  commonly  called 
Henry  Carroll ;  formerly  belonging  to  the  estate  of  the  late  Mrs.  Beer- 
sheba  Lanham.  Henry  left  the  farm  of  Mr.  M'Cormick,  near  Mr.  John 
Palmer  8  tavern,  Pnnce  George's  County,  Maryland,  on  or  about  the 
6th  of  January,  where  he  has  been  hired  for  the  last  year.  Henry  is 
about  26  years  ol  age ;  spare-built ;  of  a  dark  copper  colour ;  5  feet  8  or 
10  inches  high ;  has  a  down-look  when  spoken  to;  no  marks  recol- 

SiL^t  „  A^*'^''*^^"^  "°*  ''"°"^"'  "^"""y  ^^^  '•^'a'ions  and  friends  in 
Washington  City  and  Georgetown,  some  of  them  free,  and  likely  he  has 
free  papers;  he  is  well  acquainted  in  Alexandria.  As  he  went  of? 
romc  free  stlJI!'  P™^'"'^'^°»' »»«  >«  ^^'^V  ^'y'"?  *»  ""ake  his  escape  to 

"JissB  Talburtt." 

"50  Dollars  Rkward  will  be  given  for  Delia,  a  mulatto  woman  about 
y«ars  of  age,  if  apprehended  north  of  the  State  of  Maryland,  and  so 
secured  that  I  may  get  her  again;  or  30  dollars  if  taken  in  Virginia 
Maryland,  or  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  secured  as  above.  She  was 
raised  by  the  late  Mrs.  Hannah  Brent,  of  Fauquier  county,  Virgii^*a«and 
purchased  of  the  executor  of  the  late  Eppa  tlunton,  deceased.  It  is 
believed  that  she  is  still  m  some  of  the  numerous  hiding-places  of  Alex- 
andria, Georgetown,  or  Washington,  and  that  she  was  conveyed  hither 
by  a  negro  wagoner,  with  whom  she  was  seen  in  February  last,  prior  to 
the  removal  of  the  undersigned  to  this  city.  '         ^ 

«Th.  R.  Hampton." 

Washington,  indeed,  the  seat  of  legislation  for  this  free 
republic,  is  a  well-known  and  well-frequented  mart  for  the 
purchase  of  slaves,  and  slave-dealers  for  the  Southern  and 
Western  States  come  up  to  Washingt6n  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  supplies.  Here  is  the  advertisement  of  one  of 
these  dealers,  taken  from  the  same  paper  as  that  which  con- 
tained the  two  preceding  offers  of  reward. 

"200  Slaves  wanted—The  subscriber  will  give  higher  prices  in 

thfJ'i^/v'?'^^  y"v.""^  '''^^«  °f  ^""'^  ^^'^^^  »haS  any  other  peTon   ! 
this  market  or  who  may  come.     I  can  be  found  at  the  large  yellow 


JEALOUSY  OF  FOREIGNERS.  IgJ 

I  mil  pay  at  all  times  liberal  commissions  for  information. 

"Thomas  N.  Davis.'- 

One  of  the  strongest  of  the  national  prejudices  of  the  ma«« 

mmmmm 

are  apparently  moT.  JedU  of  Eng  LhTen  Tfr7'  ^.'^ 
,  u-  i!  .1  "  *"®"^  °^»  country  to  correct  anv  pv,i  ^f 

ref::rure^>sret^i°x^i^^^^^^^^^ 

to  ,he™.     The  paper  oVit'deT^^'^'a.V  ^^^^Tll 

everythinff  foreifm    fZl  ,  ®  °°J^^*  ^°  denounce 

ijriuiug  loreign,  lor  the  reason  that  it  is  not  "  naf,«« 

American;"  and,  in  pursuance  of  this  duty  a  loL  «w-  I 

India,  where  he  spentTo  great  I  norffn"'''  ?t •^^'-  '''^''^^^'  a«<i  even  iS 
been  occasions  when  he  sawlhl  ai^^-i"^"fl"^  his  time,  there  may  have 
above  the  surface  of  BrSomfeJZn  IT^Il^^'^^  indignation  rise 
from  that  great  and  migi^J  ScTwhe^e^t'en^Svl  ItrbJ^u^g^^ 


192 


WASHINGTON. 


under  the  yoke  of  British  dominion,  and  where  queens  have  been  re- 
tn^^  ^  be«arv  by  the  Warren  Hastlngses  who  have  lorded  it  ov|r 

nH„^».  *'*/"?'Kr  VT^u^'  "'"""y'  ""^  '="P''^*'y  dethroned  the  native 
princes,  and  established  their  own  governors  in  their  stead  1 

Personally  we  wish  Mr.  Buckingham  ail  prosperity  in  life.    This 
wish  springs  from  a  personal  knowledge  of  his  personal  merits,  which 
are  very  great:  but  he  certainly  cannot  blame  our  rough  manners  in 
inviting  him  to  cease  from  his  process  of  lecturing  upon  temperance, 
dictating  to  the  American  people  their  course  of  action.    There  is  no. 
thing  bad,  but  a  great  deal  of  good  in  temperance ;  but  we  do  not  like 
these  precedents  :  we  know  that  we  utter  the  sentiments  of  native 
Americans  when  we  solemnly  declare  that  we  do  not  need  these  for- 
eign  teachers,  but  that,  ere  long,  we  will  not  tolerate  their  audacious 
presence.    We  are  a  nation  of  men,  and  not  of  old  women.    We  are 
sturdy  inhabitants,  born  to  the  soil,  and  the  soil  to  us ;  and  there  are 
enough  moralists  in  our  borders  to  tell  us  the  word  of  heaven,  and  direct 
our  wandering  propensities  towards  the  divine  Master,  who  shapes  our 
destinies  with  the  same  hand  that  binds  the  earth  to  its  centre,  controls 
the  ebbiiigs  of  the  ocean,  and  permits  the  burning  sun  to  stand  s  fixture 
and  a  blessing  among  his  works.    We  are  a  temperate  people,  remark- 
ably  so.    We  do  not  take  time  to  drink.    We  do  not  creVte  roads  in  ci- 
der to  build  taverns     We  are  all,  more  or  less,  water-drinkers ;  and  yet 
Mr.  Buckingham  is  hallooing  in  our  ears  his  impudent  insinuations.    We 
loathe  the  abject  spint  of  our  countiymen,  that  forces  them  to  bow  be- 
fore  his  path  as  if  he  was  some  god  fit  for  their  worship." 

I  must  do  the  editor  the  justice  to  say,  that  I  believe  he 
only  expresses  publicly  the  sentiment  of  dislike  to  foreigners, 
and  jealousy  of  their  influence,  which  is  privately  entertain- 
ed by  large  numbers,  in  the  humbler  classes  of  life  espe- 
cially.     But  justice  to  the  other  classes  requires  it  to  be  « 
stated,  that  this  prejudice  is  strong  in  proportion  to  the  con- 
tracted  nature  of  the  minds,  and  the  limited  sphere  of  intel- 
hgence  in  the  parties  entertaining  it.     The  better  educated, 
and,  above  all,  the  travelled  American,  despises  this  feeling 
as  much  as  any  well-informed  European  can  do ;  and,  there- 
fore,  m  the  more  intellectual  and  influential  circles  of  Amer- 
ican society,  the  prejudice  can  hardly  be  said  to  exist,  or,  if 
existmg  at  all,  it  does  not  develop  itself  in  word  or  deed 
or  operate  in  the  slightest  degree  against  the  exercise  of  the 
utmost  courtesy  and  hospitality  towards  persons  of  merit, 
from  whatever  country  they  may  come,  or  against  the  cor- 
dial reception  of  any  proposition  for  the  amelioration  of 
mankind,  in  whatever  quarter  it  may  originafe. 

On  Thursday,  the  8th  of  March,  we  had  an  opportunity  of 
attending  the  first  drawing-room  held  by  the  president  since 
his  accession  to  office.  I  had  been  previously  introduced  to 
him  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hawley,  an  Episcopalian  clergyman, 
ot  whose  congregation  the  president  is  a  member ;  and  I 
had  also  brought  letters  of  introduction  to  him  from  New- 
York,  so  that  I  had  been  favoured  with  a  long  private  in- 


presidcnt's  lbtek.  193 

terview,  and  a  very  cordial  and  friendiv  !*««»♦• 

days  before;  and  d„.  Buckingks^ZdLZTZeZ^i 

ted  as  well  as  myself,  to  the  p^ty  of  theZZr 

We  went  about  nine  o'clock,  with  the  family  of  Colonel 
Gardmer,  who  is  attached  to  the  nublic  servi?^  LV.  i 
found  the  company  already  assem'bLd  inTeat  numbe'?.^ 
The  official  residence  of  the  president  is  aC  and^sub: 
stantial  mansion,  on  the  scale  of  many  of  the  c^un^-seaU 
of  our  English  gentry,  but  greatly  inferior  in  size  and  SDle„ 
dour  to  the  country  residences  of  most  of  ornowSty'^ind 

^e    sTfro'm'h"^'  "f  "^^^^^  commodious  and  ap'piop?^ 
TJ  ^      •  ?^'"8  ®*^8^"*  «'  ««»tly.     The  whole  air  of 

the  mansion  and  its  accompaniments  is  that  of  unostenta- 

SeTol'eT/riT  r^^^  ^'  ^'^P^-^y'  «^»^  thLeCeTeU 
f»t-  P  f  *u  s  mphcity  and  economy  which  is  character, 

istjc  of  the  republican  institutions  of  the  country'  °''"**''"- 
Ihe  president  received  his  visiters  standing,  in  the  centre 
from  Tu  r^  r"'  '^^  ^»*'«"^«  to  which  was  direcUy 
ma?e  bv  tSl  Z'^"  T^^  !f'^'-  '^^^  introductions  wer J 
TrUes  .^nd  el^h"'^^ "^''^  annomiced  the  names  of  the 
parties,  and  each,  after  shaking  hands  with  the  oresident 
and  exchanging  a  few  words  of  courtesy  passTi^to  the 
adjoining  rooms  to  make  way  for  others^'    The  prT^dent! 

Jf       5!!,^"^"'  "*  ***°"*  ^  y«"«  o{  age,  is  a  little  below 
the  middle  stature,  and  of  very  bland  and  Vm^LmZ 

w^  LhtT  f '"''"^  ^",^  P^^^  «"it  of  black ;  tie  maTshd 
™  habited  also  m  a  plain  suit;  and  there  were  neither 
guards  without  the  gate  or  sentries  within,  nor  a  single  ser' 
vant  or  attendant  in  livery  anywhere  visible.  Among  iSL 
company  we  saw  the  English  minister,  Mr.  Fox,  a  nephew 

toi  both  f^^^v."'*'  ^^  *^t  ^'•^"^^  "^'«*«''  Monsieur  pT 
toi,  both  of  whom  were  also  in  plain  clothes,-  and  the  onlv 

uniforms  m  the  »  lole  party  wer&  tAose  of  three  or  four  offi. 
ITa.  «?  ^"'^^i^'an  navy,  officially  attached  to  the  navy, 
yard  at  Washington,  and  haif  a  dozen  oncers  of  the  Am«- 
ican  army  on  active  servi«je.    The  dresses  of  the  ladierwere 
some  of  them  elegant,  but  generally  characterized  by  sim, 
phcity,  and  jewels  vrere  scarcely  at  all  worn.     The  party 
therefore   though  consisting  of  not  less  than  2000  peisoM 
was  much  less  brilliant  than  a  drawing-room  in  Endand  or' 
than  a  fashionable  soiree  in  Paris;  bSt  it  was  ft^Sore 'o?! 
deriy  and  agreeable  than  any  party  of  an  equal  number  th^ 
I  ever  remember  to  have  attended  in  Europe 

«J  JrSf  !r''"^  2n'^°^  ^^°'  *^^  P'^^^^^^t.  hiinself  is  but  a 
simple  citizen,  filhng  a  certain  office  for  a  certain  term)i 


♦ 


iM 


WAIHIMOTOir. 


there  was  no  qncitbn  of  precedence,  and  no  thought,  as  far 
i»8  1  could  discover,  of  comparison  as  to  superiority.     Every 
one  present  acted  as  though  he  felt  himself  to  be  on  a  per. 
feet  footing  of  equality  with  every  other  person ;  and,  if 
claims  of  preference  were  ever  thought  of  at  all,  they  were 
tested  only  by  the  standard  of  personal  services  or    ersonal 
merits.     Amid  the  whole  party,  therefore,  whether  in  the 
small  receiving.room  and  around  the  person  of  the  presi- 
dent,  or  in  the  larger  room  of  promenade,  where  500  per- 
sons  at  least  were  walking  in  groups,  or  in  the  small  adjoin- 
mg  rooms  to  which  parties  retired  for  seats  and  conversation, 
nothing  approaching  to  superciliousness  or  rudeness  was 
seen.     The  humbler  classes — for  of  these  there  were  many  • 
since  the  only  qualification  for  admission  to  the  morning 
levee  or  the  evening  drawing-room  is  that  of  being  a  citizen 
ol  the  United  States— behaved  with  the  greatest  propriety  ; 
and  though  the  pressure  was  at  one  time  excessive,  when  it 
was  thought  that  there  were  nearly  3000  persons  in  the  dif- 
lerent  apartments,  yet  we  never  heard  a  ^ude  word  or  saw 
a  rude  look,  but  everything  indicated  respect,  forbearance, 
and  perfect  contentment ;    and  Avhen  the  parties  retired, 
Which  was  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock,  there  was 
not  half  so  much  bustle  in  getting  up  the  carriages,  which 
were  very  numerous,  as  is  exhibited  at  a  comparatively  small 
««f  S  !?  ^"g*^»<* ;  no'  was  any  angry  word,  as  far  as  we 
Si  attendMcr*  ^^''^^^S®^  between  the  drivers  and  servants 
This  drawing-room,  from  which  we  retired  about  mid- 
^i  «  ;rr  '^"^''"^ong  the  last  that  remained,  impressed 
us  altogether^wi  h  a  very  favourable  opinion  of  the  social 

ttrr/h'^-i'^r'T"  P«°P^«-     Members  of  the  opposl 
tion,  most  hostile  to  the  president  in  his  official  capacity, 

were  present  and  intercWnged  their  civilities  with  him  In 

^nZl\Z^'^^  ™'""'''  ^y^"g  ^'^'  *heir  characters  as 
senators  and  repvsentatives,  and  here  meeting  the  chief 
magistrate  of  the  republic  as  citizens  only.  The  citizens 
themselves  of  every  other  class,  exhibited"  no  symptom  of 
any  other  feehng  than  that  of  respect  and  satisfaction ;  and 
as  this  could  only  be  accounted  for  on  the  principle  thit  the 
absence  of  all  artificial  distinctions  in  society-except  those 
Which  personal  merit  may  create,  and  which  may  be  called 
natural  and  just— leads  to  the  absence  of  all  envy  and  d is 
content ;  and,  therefore,  a  democratic  crowd  of  2000  persons 
were,  from  the  operation  of  this  principle,  seen  to  conduct 
themselves  m  a  more  respectful,  subdued,  and  orderly  man- 


PRESIDBNT   AT   CnVRCII. 


Its 


ner  than  the  same  number  of  persons,  especinlly  if  of  verv 
different  conditions  in  Jife,  would  be  likely  to  do  i„  anv  of 
the  elder  countries  of  Europe,  where  such  distinctions  of 

We  had  subsequently  another  opportunity  of  witnessinir 
the  extreme  simolicitv  of  the  president's  manners,  and    hf 

SunZ  ihTn?[''   r  T^  ''''''  ^"  his  inovemekts.     On 
Sunday,  the  11th  of  March,  we  nttended  the  Episcopalian 

the"EstahlM*  ^7^^':'^7V^'    ''"^^'^  J«  perfoLedM" 
,    the  Established  Church  of  England.     It  being  near  the 
president's  house  and  most  of  the  public  offices,  a  large  por! 
hZlflt  °*^T^8«''°»  «  composed  of  the  families  of  mem- 
bers  of  the  cabinet  and  heads  of  departments.     The  presi- 
dent  walked  into  the  church,  unattended  by  a  single  servant, 
iim-il?  ^T  "'  V.'^V^  which  others  were  sitUng  besides 
himself,  and  retired  m  the  same  manner  as  he  came,  v  i'.out 
being  noticed  m  any  greater  degree  than  any  other  member 
of  the  congregation,  and  walking  home  alone,  until  joined 
by  one  or  two  personal  friends,  like  any  other  private  gen- 
tienian.     In  taking  exercise,  he  usually  rides  out  on  horse, 
back,  and  is  generally  unattended,  or,  if  accompanied  by  a 
servant,  never  by  more  than  one.     Everywhere  that  ho 
passes  ho  ,s  treated  with  just  the  same  notice  as  any  other 
respectable  inhabitant  of  the  city  would  be,  but  no  more, 
this  18  80  far  from  lessening,  as  might  by  some  be  sup- 
posed,  the  influence  or  authority  of  the  president  in  his  offi. 
cial  capacity,  that  no  one  presumea  to  show  less  reverence 
for,  or  less  obedience  to,  the  laws  on  this  account;  and  thus 
the  compatibility  of  extreme  simplicity  in  nmnners  with 
perfect  respect  to  authority  is  practically  demonstrated. 


196 


WASHINGTON. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Hiirtory  of  the  City  of  Washington—Fonnation  of  the  District  of  Colombia  -Seal  rf 
Govarnment  eatabliahed  there  by  Law.-Choice  of  the  Position  fo?  thS  new  Ckv  _ 

l!S^:n^f:7w"_£  P""J°f?' ""*^<""'"'*''  *>'  'ndian  Cuefs.— Treasury  Deoartment. 
=lXn  DewrSent'"  t.^na'ir„"r*^  ""'^  Gene'ral  iCoZt 

JSo^t-S\:7^Mi?T^ht'^-l^''^'^^  Office-Destruction  of  Modela 
eZfl  Ct  aoiaiM  -rnll«;«  Washmgton.-Anecdote  of  the  Congres- 

Pn™.t  .iff  *       •     °"?**''  ^*"'"'  Hotels.'and  Boaid  ng-houses.-Theatres  —Mr 

Kay^^OthelTd'of  fh«°rri^r''''i"  °^  ^''S''^*™  Sensitiveness  on  sTaveryi: 
"  i^I  ?L  D  "r  ■   '"*  Gladiator  Proscribed.— Exclusion  of  Coloured  Person. 

.KpulaL  TwsSw„'^!!:;;~^rT'?.^""'*'"»"  °f '»»«  City  Style  and  Charter- 

Tm  history  of  the  City  of  Washington  is  so  recent  that  it 
may  be  very  briefly  told.  In  the  year  1790,  when  General 
Washington  wm  president  of  the  United  States,  he  first 

waTS  J  Ph. 'h  fu^""^^  '^'  ''^'  «^  government,  which 
was  then  at  Philadelphia,  at  some  central  position,  so  as  to 

?rnr^lT  ^  accessible  to  the  members  of  Congress  coming 
from  all  parts  of  the  Union.  This  design  was  imbodied  iS 
a  bill,  which  originated  in  the  Senate  on  the  1st  of  June, 
passed  the  House  of  Representatives  on  the  9th  of  the  same 
month  and  received  the  sanction  of  the  president  on  the 
16th  ot  July  foUowmg.  The  votes  taken  on  this  occasion, 
however,  were  not  unanimous ;  the  division  in  the  Senate 
being  fourteen  to  twelve,  and  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives  thirty-two  to  twenty-nine.  This  bill  authorized  the 
setting  apart  of  a  territory,  not  exceeding  ten  miles  square, 

froni  the  states  of  Maryland  and  Virginia,  between  which 

l/iftt  nw"^?  ^iV^^""  existing  boundary-line,  to  be  call- 
ed  "  the  District  of  Columbia,"  and  te  be  made  the  perma- 
nent  seat  of  government.  Such  a  territory  having  been 
nicked  out  by  commissioners  appointed  for  that  purpose, 
and  the  arrangements  with  the  two  states  from  which  i 
yras  taken  being  satisfactorily  completed,  the  district  was 
formally  recognised  by  law,  and  made  sub  ect  to  the  exdu! 
sive  jurisdiction  of  Congress. 


PLAN  OF  THE   CITT. 


197 


General  Washington  next  planned  and  designed  the  citv 
which  was  to  bear  his  name  as  the  legislative  capital  of  the 
Uniou  ;  and  m  1793  the  Capitol,  or  ^eat  hall  fo?the  meet! 

lft?.n  ♦u  *'^''  1?°"'^^  ""^  Congress,  was  commenced.  In 
18UU,  the  seat  of  government  was  removed  from  JPhiladel- 
phia  to  Washmgton,  during  the  presidency  of  John  Adams, 
since  which  it  has  always  continued  here  without  Literrup! 

The  situation  of  the  city  is  well  chosen,  lying  as  it  does 
between  the  mam  stream  of  the  River  Potoma?,  by  which 
It  18  bounded  on  the  west  and  southwest,  and  the  River 
Anacosta,  sometimes  called  the  Eastern  Branch,  by  which 
It  18  bounded  on  the  east  and  southeast ;  while  the  broad 
stream  of  the  Potomac,  after  the  junction  of  these  two  riv- 
ers,  flows  onward  beyond  it  to  the  south,  till,  after  a'navi- 
gabie  course  of  about  eighty  miles,  it  empties  itself  into  the 
t^nesapeake,  and      is  communicates  readily  with  the  sea. 

The  city  is  mapped  out  upon  an  extensive  scale,  being 
about  fourteen  English  miles  in  circumference,  of  an  ir- 
regular  shape,  approaching  to  an  oblong  square,  about  five 
miles  long  from  east  to  west,  and  four  miles  broad  from 
north  to  south.     The  plan  is  not  so  remarkable  for  its  sym- 
metry as  those  of  many  American  cities ;  for,  though  there 
are  three  great  avenues  running  the  whole  length  of  Wash- 
ington from  east  to  west,  each,  therefore,  nearly  five  miles 
long  and  150  feet  broad,  and  these,  again,  ave  crossed  by 
tour  similar  avenues  at  right  angles  running  nearly  rorth 
and  south,  yet  these  are  intersected  by  .so  many  diagor^al 
lines,  and  the  smaller  streets  are  made  to  run  at  angles  so 
oblique  to  the  general  design,  that,  amid  much  that  is  straight 
and  regular,  there  is  also  much  that  is  crooked  and  confused. 
The  greatest  defect  of  the  city,  however,  is  this,  that 
very  few  portions  of  it  are  built  up   in   continuity ;   the 
dweUings  are  so  scattered  over  it  in  detached  groups,  frag, 
ments  of  streets,  and  isolated  buildings,  that  it  has  all  the 
appearance  of  a  town  rising  into  existence,  but  gradually 
arrested  in  its  progress,  and  now  stationary  in  its  condition. 
The  Capitol,  which  is  placed  on  a  rising  ground  in  the  cen- 
t'"^  o?/he  plan,  was  intended  to  be  the  centre  of  the  city ; 
and  if  measures  had  been  taken,  when  this  edifice  was 
erected,  to  let  off  only  those  Wts  of  land  which  were  around 
the  Capitol,  so  as  to  confine  the  buildings  to  its  immediate 
vicinity  before  any  others  were  erected  beyond  it,  and  thus 
progressively  to  have  spread  from  the  centre  to  the  extrem- 
ities, it  would  even  now  have  been  a  handsome  city.     But, 


198 


WASHINGTON. 


from  the  distant  lots  of  land  having  been  sold  as  freely  as 
those  near  the  centre,  the  purchasers  have  built  up  their 
mansions  and  planted  their  gardens  around  the  extremities,, 
so  that  Washington  has  been  truly  called  "a  city  of  magnifi- 
cent distances;"  and  it  might  have  been  added,  "with  bar- 
ren tracts  and  swampy  morasses  between  them." 

The  public  buildings  of  WAhington  form  its  only  orna- 
ment, and  without  these  the  aspect  of  the  city  would  be 
mean  in  the  extreme.  The  first  and  most  important  of 
these  buildings  is  the  Capitol,  the  edifice  expressly  erected 


to  contain  the  halls  of  legislature  for  the  general  Congress 
of  the  United  States.     Its  situation  is  admirably  chosen,  be- 
ing on  the  summit  of  a  rising  ground  which  overlooks  the 
city  to  the  west  and  northwest,  while  on  the  east  and  south- 
east it  is  on  a  level  with  the  general  soil.     The  building  is 
so  placed  as  to  have  its  principal  front  to  the  east,  where  it 
is  seen  on  the  same  level  as  the  other  buildings  east  of  it. 
The  other  front  is  to  the  west,  and  overlooks  the  western 
portion  of  the  city  below  it,  the  slope  of  the  western  decliv- 
ity being  ornamented  with  terraces,  walks,  and  shrubbery. 
The  area  of  the  public  grounds  thus  laid  out,  and  in  the  cen- 
tre  of  which,  or  nearly  so,  the  Capitol  stands,  is  about  thirty 
acres ;  the  whole  of  this  is  enclosed  by  a  low  wall  of  stone, 
with  good  iron  railings,  and  entered  by  well-built  gateways, 
opposite  to  the  different  aveAies  leading  to  and  from  it  as  a 
general  centre. 

The  Capitol,  as  a  whole,  has  a  front  of  352  feet  towards 
the  east  and  west,  and  a  depth  of  121  feet  for  the  main  body 
of  the  building,  in  addition  to  65  feet  of  projection  for  the 


TAB   CAPITOL. 


U9 


* 

poriico  and  stefs  of  the  eastern  fapade,  and  83  feet  for  a 
simiar  projection  on  the  western  part,  makine  therefore  th« 
whole  length  of  the  fa.ade  352  fe'et,  ^„d  the  ^JlSe  bTeaJth 
269  feet,  covering  nearly  an  acre  and  three  quarters  of 
ground.  The  height  of  the  two  wings  to  the  balustrades 
of  their  respective  lanterns  or  dome-lights,  is  70  feet,  and 

I45  f^ef  1*''.  ""^'^  *°  ''''  ^™^*  °^  ^^e  great  domet 
145  feet.     The  dimensions  are  therefore  on  a  grand  scale 

and  the  effect  of  the  whole  is  harmonious  an^  imposTng: 

At  the  first  view,  the  central  dome  looks  too  massive  and 

heavy,  and  seems  to  want  the  relief  of  a  more  spiral  termi- 

nation  or  a  surmounting  statue  ;  but  more  frequent  examina- 

tions  of  the  pile  from  different  points  of  view  and  at  differ- 

ent  hours  of  the  day,  especially  at  sunrise  and  sunset,  recon- 

wen  w'l^hT  *°      '  Pl^esent  proportions,  which  harmonize 

yell  with  the  surrounding  objects,  and  produce  a  grave  and 

imposing  effect  as  a  whole.  &  ^ 

The  east  front  is  chaste  and  beautiful.     After  passing 

over  a  lawn,  withm  the  iron  railings  that  enclose  the  publi! 


grounds,  on  each  side  of  which  is  a  sweeping  carriage-road 
you  advance  up  a  noble  flight  of  steps,  thirty-six  in  number! 
and  extending  over  a  breadth  of  about  forty  feet.  This 
brings  you  on  a  level  with  the  central  floor  of  the  building 
the  one  below  being  occupied  with  public  offices,  and  the 
one  above  in  each  wing  with  committee-rooms  belonging  to 
the  two  houses  of  Congress.  The  portico  on  which  you  now 
stand  is  formed  of  twenty-four  Corinthian  columns,  well  ex- 
ecuted and  of  noble  dimensions,  being  four  feet  in  diameter 

and  thirty  feet  m  height.     In  the  pediment  is  a  fine  sculo- 

r  . 


soo 


WASHINGTON. 


tured  group,  composed  of  the  Genius  of  Aftierica  supported 
by  figures  of  Hope  and  Justice,  and  surrounded  with  ap- 
propriate emb'  ms,  of  which  the  national  bird,  the  eagle,  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent,  and  is  very  beautifully  executed. 
The  figures  are  colossal,  being  about  seven  feet  and  a  half 
in  height.     On  the  platform  of  the  portico  itself  are  two  co- 
lossal statues  in  marble,  finely  executed  by  Pensico :  one 
representing  War,  in  the  figure  of  a  Roman  general  armed 
for  conflict,  and  the  other  representing  Peace,  in  a  female 
figure  holding  an  olive  branch  ;  while  above  is  a  bas-relief 
representing  Washington  crowned  by  Fame.     The  entrance 
from  this  leads  into  the  Rotunda,  the  centre  of  the  whole  ed- 
ifice, which  is  crowned  by  a  lofty  dome,  the  effect  of  which 
is  very  imposing,  the  diameter  of  the  circular  area  or  plat- 
form being  ninety-six  feet,  and  the  height  from  the  pave- 
ment to  the  skylight  ninety-six  feet  also.     The  upper  in- 
terior of  the  dome  is  ornamented  with  caissons,  hke  the 
dome  of  the  Pantheon  at  Rome  ;  and  the  lower  part  of  the 
circular  wall  is  divided  into  compartments,  for  the  reception 
of  sculpture  and  painting  on  subjects  of  national  history. 

Of  the  sculptures  which  already  occupy  some  of  the  pan- 
els, the  following  may  be  mentioned  in  the  order  of  their 
dates.     The  first  represents  the  well-known  incident  of  the 
humane  intervention  of  the  Indian  princess,  Pocahontas, 
daughter  of  the  chief  Powhatan,  to  save  the  afe  of  Captain 
Smith,  which  took  place  in  1606.     The  group  has  five  fig- 
ures, and  appears  to  be  well  executed  ;  thte  artist  being  a  Sig- 
ner Capellano,  an  Italian,  and  pupil  of  the  great  Canova. 
The  second  piece  is  a  representation,  by  his  fellow-country- 
man and  fellow-pupil,  Causici,  of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  on  the  rock  at  Plymouth,  in  Massachusetts,  which 
occurred  in  1620.     In  this  group  are  four  figures,  a  pilgrim, 
his  wife,  his  child,  and  an  Indian,  who,  as  the  pilgrim  steps 
from  the  boat  to  the  rock,  receives  him  kneeling,  and  pre- 
sents to  him  an  ear  of  corn.     The  third  subject  is  the  treaty 
of  William  Penn  with  the  Indians  of  Pennsylvania,  which 
occurred  in  1682.     In  this  group  are  three  figures  under  the 
spreading  elm-tree,  near  Philadelphia,  vi^here  this   treaty 
was  made.     Penn  is  represented  in  the  formal  Quaker  garb 
of  that  day,  with  a  curled  wig  and  cocked  hat,  a  costume 
most  unfavourable  to  the  display  of  grace  by  the  sculptor  ; 
and  the  two  others  are  Indians,  one  a  chief,  holding  the  cal- 
umet or  pipe  of  peace,  and  the  other  a  younger  Indian  of 
the  same  tribe,  who  was  a  party  to  the  treaty.     This  was 
executed  by  a  French  artist,  Mons.  Gevelot.     The  last  sub- 


HISTORICAL  SCULPTURES. 


sot 


ject  in  point  of  date  is  a  conflict  betwreen  Daniel  Boon,  the 
celebrated  American  backwoodsman,  one  of  the  ear?v  nio! 
neers  or  settlers  m  the  Western  wilds,  who  made  a  mostT 
trepid  defence,  single-handed,  Against  the  attack  rsorn^ 
hostile  Indians  in  1773.  The  space  being  extreme^  con! 
trac  edfor  this  representation,  the  figure  of  the  de"d  fndkn 
18  placed  coiled  up  and  contracted  beneath  the  feet  of  the 
two  other  figures  of  the  group,  who  are  st^Lg  on  it 
while  they  are  engaged  in  mortal  combat.  ^ 

It  IS  said  that  an  Indian  chief,  forming  one  of  the  numer- 
ous  deputations  from  the  tribes  that  visit  this  city  e^erv 
Sn^rT     .T""  ^°""«?«d  with  their  settlements,  on 

m  the  Rotunda,  and  observed  that  they  represented  ii  sue- 
cession  but  too  faithful  a  history  of  the  intercourse  of  the 
white  men  with  the  red,  from  the  first  discovery  of  the  Con! 
tment  by  Europeans  up  to  the  present  hour.  « In  the  first 
piece  of  sculpture,"  said  he,  "  you  see  an  Indian  woma^,The 
daughter  of  a  chief  in  the  South,  interceding  for,  and  Effect! 
ually  preservmg,  a  white  man's  life.     In  th?  second  picture 

fo  r:!^' ^"?T  °^*^l!^-^h  giving  a  welcome  rec^epton 
to  the  pilgrim-father  on  his  coast,  and  presenting  him  with 
corn  for  his  subsistence.  In  the  third  you  ^e  the  Indian 
of  the  Eastern  shore  giving  up  his  land  by  treaty  for  the 
settlement  of  Pennsylvania,  by  which  the  white  man  got  a 
fom  footmg  on  his  territory.  And  in  the  last  picture  you 
see  the  backwoodsman  encroaching  upon  our  nTost  distant 
hunting-grounds  in  the  Far  West,  and,  after  shooting  down 
the  Indian  who  is  beneath  his  feet,  giving  a  perfect  picture 
of  the  actual  condition  of  his  whole  race,  by  scarcely  leaving 
him  soil  enough  to  die  upon !"  ^  ^caving 

This  Indian  version  is  unhappHy  but  too  true,  accordinff 
to  the  testimony  of  almost  all  the  intelligent  and  humane 
among  the  whites  themselves,  who  frankly  express  their  own 
unbiased  opinions  on  the  subject. 

In  the  centres  of  the  wreaths  and  festoons  in  the  other 
panels  devoted  to  sculpture  are  medallion  portraits  of  Co- 
lumbia, Raleigh,  La  Sale,  and  Cabot,  the  great  navigators 
oi  early  days,  whose  names  are  associated  with  the  discovery 
and  settlement  of  the  various  portions  of  the  North  American 
Continent. 

Of  the  larger  panels,  devoted  to  the  reception  of  historical 
paintmgs,  some  are  already  filled  by  large  and  excellent  pic 
tures,  executed  by  Colonel  Trumbull,  one  of  the  veterans  of 
mc  xievoiutionary  War,  who  is  still  alive,  and  whom  I  saw 


S02 


WASHINGTON. 


in  New- York,  though  he  served  as  an  aiddecamp  of  Gen- 
eral Washington  in  1775.     The  first  of  these  pictures  repre- 
sents the  Declaration  of  Independence,  as  signed  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1776.     The  picture  is  very  large,  about  15  feet  by 
10.    It  is  full  of  figures,  not  less  than  fifty,  and  the  whole 
of  them  are  portraits  of  the  actual  signers  of  that  celebrated 
document,  in  the  costume  of  the  day;  while  the  picture  gives 
a  perfect  representation  of  the  room  in  which  the  signatures 
were  affixed.     The  figures  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  John 
Hancock,  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  John  Adams  are  readily 
recognised ;  as  an  historical  picture  it  is  a  fine  composition, 
and  one  of  the  most  appropriate  for  the  place  it  occupies. 
The  second  picture  represents  the  surrender  of  the  British 
troops  under  General  Burgoyne,  to  the  American  Revolu- 
tionists under  command  of  General  Gates,  at  Saratoga,  in 
October,  1777.     The  figures  are  in  the  military  costume 
worn  by  the  respective  armies  at  the  time ;  and  the  bodies 
of  cavalry  and  infantry,  the  general's  tent,  the  tender  of  the 
officer's  sword,  and  the  other  incidents  of  the  piece,  are  all 
well  told.     The  third  picture  represents  the  surrender  of  the 
British  army  under  Lord  Cornwallis,  which  took  place  at 
Yorktown,  m  Virginia,  in  October,  1781,  to  the  united  forces 
of  America  ai«l  France ;  the  first  commanded  by  General 
Washington,  the  second  by  General  Rochambeau.     In  this, 
also,  faithful  portraits  of  the  principal  officers  of  each  army 
are  introduced ;  whUe  the  variety  of  the  military  dresses  and 
the  skilful  arrangement  of  the  figures  make  it  an  interesting 
composition.     The  last  picture  of  the  series  represents  the 
resignation  of  his  military  commission,  as  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  American  army,  by  General  Washington,  which 
took  place  at  Annapolis  on  the  23d  of  December,  1783 
where  the  Congress  was  then  sitting.     This  appeared  to  me 
the  most  interestmg  picture  of  the  whole,  as  well  from  the 
moral  dignity  of  the  subject— the  voluntary  resignation  of 
power  at  the  period  of  its  highest  popularity—as  from  the 
admirable  treatment  of  it  by  the  artist.     Ali  these  pictures 
are  the  same  size,  about  15  feet  by  10,  and  several  vacant 
panels  of  the  same  dimensions  yet  remain  to  be  filled  up. 
If  these  shall  be  occupied  with  pictures  as  interesting  in 
their  subjects,  and  as  well  executed  in  their  details,  as  those 
described,  the^  will  do  honour  to  the  national  taste. 

Leading  off  from  this  Rotunda  are  passages  on  the  north 
and  south  to  the  Senate  and  the  Hall  of  Representatives ; 
the  passages  on  the  east  and  west  being  the  respective  en- 
trances by  these  fronts  to  the  building.     The  Senate  Cham- 


THE  SBUATB   CHAMBER.  203 

fee?     Th?  P  •  "r  "•  ?•  "^h"'  P""  of  the  o^itag  i.  45 

number  are  arranged  in  these  semicirculw  rows  each  reel 
dmg  behind,  and  rising  a  little  above  the Tecedi^^  onp" 
Each  senator  has  a  commodious  arm-chair  f^WssTal  and 
before  h,m  is  a  mahogany  desk,  furnished  wiSvieep  r^cen 
tacle  for  printed  papers  below,  and  all  the  requisite^  conve' 

'^^^AT'\^'''  ^^"*'^«^^°"  ^  ^«"  -«  comfor?  ^"' 

nr.  k  ?^      -^^  semicircular  rows  of  seats  and  desks  there 

tures  of  foreign  countries  ;  and  this  space  will  aocommS»T,; 
nearly  one  hundred  persons.    Behind  the  pre^Srct^ 

L]„Pa;^-Sch"»aeS-%  ^Z  S^ 

r„;fdX;' 4  *riS.°"— »<'''' «%  -«"-  o™- 

r  J^  K  ''^f  "'*°''  '®  separated  from  the  body  of  the  SenatP 
Chamber  by  a  colonnade  of  very  beautiful^l la/s  forS 
5ie\'S'Tf^?J^'  '^"^  "ehly-Lloured  bre'cci^^^^^^^ 

marble  tL  f  °"'^"'  ^"^  '^"^^'  ^^«"»  ^^is  Potomac 
marble.     These  columns  are  of  the  Ionic  ordpr    o„^ 

crowed  with  white  marble  capitals  ator'th:^"}  .^eVm! 
sons,  who  louk  down  ir.ra  thence  towS  tSel'L'o"; 


804 


WASUINOTON. 


seated  m  front  of  the  president's  chair.     Around  the  semi- 
circular wall,  and  above  the  space  named  before  as  appro- 
onated  for  those  who  have  the  privilege  of  the  entrie  be- 
hind the  senators,  is  another  and  more  spariotis  gdllery  for 
strangers,  which  is  supported  by  small  cast-iron  pillars  from 
the  floor,  and  which  will  hold  from  two  hundred  to  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons  more  ;  so  that,  though  the  senators  are 
only  fifty-two  in  number,  there  is  accommodation  in  the  cor- 
ridors below  and  galleries  above  for  at  least  four  hundred 
spectators  and  auditors ;  and  as  no  written  orders  are  neces- 
sary for  admission  into  these,  it  often  happens,  on  attractive 
occasions,  that  the  full  number  I  have  mentioned  are  actu- 
ally  present  in  the  Senate  Chamber  to  hear  the  debates. 
The  walls  are  lined  aJl  around  with  plaited  draperies  of  a 
stone-coloured  and  figured  damask,  between  pilasters  of 
Potomac  marble,  and  the  draperies  of  the   galleries  and 
windows  above  are  of  crimson  damask,  tastefully  arranged. 
Over  the  chair  of  the  president  is  a  fine  portrait  of  General 
"Washington,  and  the  semi-domed  roof  or  ceiling  is  richly 
ornamented  with  square  caissons,  in  full  and  florid  style  of 
stucco ;  while  from  the  centre  of  the  ceiling  is  suspended  a 
large  ormolu  chandelier,  the  whole  producing  a  chastened 
richness  of  effect,  well  comporting  with  the  dignity  of  a 
Senate  Chamber ;  and  the  impression  created  by  the  build- 
ing and  its  accompaniments  appears  to  be  not  without  its 
influence  on  the  members  and  visiters. 

The  Hall  of  Representatives,  which  is  in  the  southern 
wmg  of  the  Capitol,  differs  but  little,  except  in  size,  from 
the  Senate  Chamber.  It  is  of  the  same  semicircular  form, 
but  is  larger :  the  radius  line  of  the  semicircle  being  96  feet, 
the  extreme  depth  in  the  middle  of  the  arc  about  50,  and 
the  height  of  the  loftiest  part  of  the  ceiling  60  feet. 

The  hall  is  surrounded  by  twenty-four  columns  of  the 
variegated  breccia  or  Potomac  marble,  crowned,  like  those 
of  the  Senate  Chamber,  with  capitals  of  white  marble,  carved 
after  a  specimen  of  the  Corinthian  order  found  at  Athens. 
These  columns  support  a  gallery,  which  runs  around  the 
entire  hall,  one  portion  being  straight,  as  running  with  the 
radius  line  of  the  semicircle,  and  this  is  usually  devoted  to 
ladies;  while  the  other  is  semicircular,  encompassing  the 
whole  of  the  remaining  space,  and  this  is  usually  occupied 
by  gentlemen ;  both  galleries  being  supposed  capable  of 
containing  together  at  least  six  hundred  persons.  To  these 
galleries  strangers  are  admitted  without  the  least  restraint, 
as  in  the  Senate,  while  in  the  corridors  and  recesses  below 


THB   HALL   OF  RBWIBSBNTATIVEB. 


speaker  of  the  House  is  seateron°"J.  ^"'''i    ^'''  *^^ 
beneath  him  in  front  a  few  fl»  \     ^^7^*^^  ^^^^'^  and 
clerks  and  assistants  VithTheser/.„n?  l^^  '^^^'^  "«  »he 
these  are  the  seats  an^Lks  of T-  "  ^^*;™«-     ^'°"*i»g 
semicircular  rows,  each  recedinl  hX^^^'?'  ^"""^^^  ^^ 
above  the  one  in  front  of  h      A «   ^  '^'  ^""^  ^^"^^y  '"'"g 
hundred  and  fifty  members  io  i '    """^T''  *^^'«  "^  twS 
pactness  is  requiL^f  The  desks  arrtT'^'V^^^^     «°™- 
"1  lengths  sufficient  to  admltof  two   th^e^    T  "'^"S^'^ 
five  members  sitting  at  one  leavin^J  .        '  ^""^  «>»n«time8 
and  separate  chair  Veach  memSf;  "^T'  compartment 
orations,  the  domed  ceiling    and  tL  7      «P»Jpt"red  dec 
keeping  with  each  otherfind  the  ^ull T/'T'  ""  «"  ^'" 
General  Washington  on  thp  on-    -^     ^^^^'^  portraits  of 
ette  on  the  other  liSe  of  the  h«n      "*"'  ^V^  ^""^^^^  ^afay. 

ate  objects  of  venemion  a^nl  regi'r'tVthe'r  '"'  '^PP'^P"* 

As  none  of  the  cahm^trL;^^.  "®  American  people. 

seat  in  either  house  a„dnnT''*''\°!:^.P^'"^^««d  *»  hoW  a 

the  governme„rarradmitte7arn^^^^^^^^  ^"^^^^^  ""^«' 
the  people,  there  is  no  nioll  ^  *  ,.  ''epresentatives  of 

bench,  either  r  the  Senit  '^'i^'P^"'^^"^  *<>  ««'  treasury 
neither  is  there  any  mTrl  LrTnl^'^"'"  °^  Representatives^ 
house,  as  the  memberT  orho  h  « \?PP°'^*^'"  «^^^  «^  the 
mingled  with  each  Sr  •  Th-  ^?  '"'  ''*  indiscriminately 
ower.     rh,  rule  respecting  the  occupa- 


906 


WASHINGTON. 


tion  of  seats  I  learned  to  be  this.  At  the  beginning  of  a 
new  Congress,  as  soon  as  the  respective  members  are  elect- 
ed, those  who  live  near  to  Washington,  or  those  who,  living 
more  distant,  endeavour  to  get  to  Washington  a  few  days 
before  the  session  opens,  repair  to  the  House,  and  take  such 
desks  as  they  may  prefer,  if  not  previously  appropriated. 
Here  they  inscribe  their  own  name  on  a  small  tablet  of 
ivory,  let  into  each  desk  for  the  purpose ;  and  this  secured 
it  to  them,  as  their  personal  seat,  during  all  the  session. 
Any  one  desiring,  however,  to  occupy  a  more  advantageous  • 
position  than  his  own,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  forward 
a  motion- which  requires  to  be  mtroduced  by  a  long  speech, 
may  readily  obtain  the  use  of  any  member's  seat  for  that 
particular  occasion,  and  therefore  no  difficulties  about  seats 
ever  occur.  The  accommodation  for  reporters  is  ample  and 
excellent ;  and  in  each  house  there  are  a  number  of  mes* 
sengers,  generally  youths  from  ten  to  fourteen,  who  convey 
papers  or  notes,  bring  water  to  those  who  are  speaking,  and 
carry. messages  from  one  member  to  the  other;  but  the 
floors  of  both  houses  being  well  carpeted  throughout,  not 
the  slightest  inconvenience  or  the  least  perceptible  noise  is 
made  by  their  movements. 

The  order  of  proceedings  in  both  houses  is,  in  its  most 
essential  parts,  like  that  followed  in  England ;  but  there  be- 
ing much  fewer  members  and  much  less  business  to  do,  as 
the  separate  State  Legislatures  transact  all  their  local  affairs, 
and  leave  to  Congress  only  the  general  business  of  the  whole, 
there  is  much  more  order  and  decorum  in  their  conduct. 
The  president  or  speaker  of  each  house  sits  without  wig  or 
gown,  and  the  clerks  and  officers  are  equally  without  any 
distinguishing  dress.     No  cries  of  «'  hear,  hear,"  or  cheers, 
whether  ironical  or  otherwise,  are  ever  heard ;  no  coughing, 
or  exclamations  of  "  oh,  oh,"  or  cries  of  "  question,  ques- 
tion," "  divide,  divide,"  disturb  the  gravity  of  their  debates ; 
and  one  chief  cause  of  this  is,  no  doubt,  that  their  hours  of 
doing  business  are  more  rational,  as  they  sit  by  day,  and  not 
by  night,  as  in  England.    The  members  of  committees  attend 
their  respective  committee-rooms  at  ten  in  the  forenoon ;  at 
twelve  both  houses  meet  for  business ;  and  though  a  clear 
majority  of  each  house  is  requisite  to  form  a  quorum,  this 
is  rarely  or  never  wanting ;  while  in  England,  where  forty 
members,  or  one  sixteenth  only  of  the  whole  number,  are 
sufficient  to  form  a  quorum,  the  House  is  often  not  formed 
at  all  at  four  o'clock,  or  "  counted  out"  at  seven  o'clock,  be-i 
cause  even  this  small  number  of  tKe  people's  representatives 
cannot  be  got  to  attend  to  the  duty  of  their  constituents. 


THB   CAriTOL. 


2or 


The  membcTs  continue  to  sit,  ordinarily,  from  twelve  to 
lour,  and  on  particular  occasions  only  extend  their  sittines 

lit  ^'^^  1?  "'''**'''''  '^dj°">"n»"g  al^^ays  before  dinner,  ei- 
cept  when  the  pressure  of  business  towards  the  end  of  the 
session  compels,  for  a  short  period,  a  few  evening  sittings; 
but  these  are  rare,  and  not  long  protracted.     These  early 
hours  and  comparatively  short  sittings  are,  no  doubt,  highly 
favourable  to  order  and  decorum  ;  and  if  ever  the  time  shall 
arrive  in  England  when  diurnal,  sittings  shall  be  substituted 
lor  nocturnal  ones,  this  change  alone  would  effect  a  great 
reformation  m  the  tone  and  temper  with  which  the  debates 
wou  d  be  conducted.     If  to  this  should  be  added  a  transfer 
o!  all  the  local  business  to  the  counties,  a  reduction  of  the 
number  of  members,  and  a  limitation  to  the  length  of  the 
epeeches,  nearly  all  the  causes  of  those  violent  ebullitions 
which  disgrace  the  British  House  of  Commons  would  be  re- 
moved.     Of  the  principal  orators  in  each  house,  and  their 
style  of  speakmg,  I  shall  offer  an  opinion  at  some  future 

In  the  basement  story  of  the  Capitol  is  a  circular  crypt, 
occupying  the  centre,  where  forty  pillars  support  the  grooved 
arches  that  sustain  the  whole  floor  of  the  Rotunda  above. 
Another  portion  of  this  basement  is  occupied  as  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  ^United  States,  where  the  chief  justice,  with  six 
BMociate  judges,  sit  to  hear  appeals  from  the  ciwuits  and 
other  courts  of  the  different  states  in  the  Union,  and  to  try 
auch  causes  as  fall  within  the  limits  of  their  original  jurisdic- 
tion Thie  room  is  beautifully  adapted  for  the  purpose  to 
which  ,t  18  applied,  being  well  lighted,  remarkably  qu^t,  and 
furnished  with  all  the  requisite  accommodation  for  the  judges 
counsel,  and  auditors.  J""ge»» 

The  library  of  the  Capitol  is  a  fine  apartment,  about  92 
^e  m  length  34  feet  in  breadth,  and  36  feet  high.  It  is 
well  furnished,  not  only  with  volumes  of  all  the  public  doc 
uments  and  proceedings  of  Congress,  but  with  books  in  gen- 
eral  hterature,  for  the  purchase  of  which  an  annual  sum  is 
voted  by  Congress,  averaging  about  5000  dollars  a  year,  and 
this  IS  laid  out  under  the  superintendence  of  a  library  com- 
mittee,  composed  of  members  of  both  houses.  The  library 
already  contains  about  25,000  volumes,  and  the  annual  ex- 

ri^  i'Jf^' /"'^'"^"^^y  *^^'^''*®^'  ^"1  progressively  increase 
11,  so  tnat  time  alone  is  wanting  to  make  it  a  valuable  na- 
tional collection     The  first  Congressional  library,  which  con- 

Tit  °f  "^°?  .2^?«  ^°^"™««'  ^^«  destroyed  by  the  British 
at  the  close  of  the  last  war,  when,  with  a  feroeiiy  more  char- 


WASHINOTOir. 

^leristio  of  barbtriana  than  of  civilized  warriors,  they  set 
fire  to  the  Capitcil,  a»d  destroyed  the  library  and  many  of  the 
rnost  valuable  of  the  public  records.     On  the  rcrurrenor>  of 
thig  calamity,  the  ex-president,  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  was 
then  alive,  mad^  an  offer  of  his  valuable  private  collection  of 
books  to  Cong?*^**  as  the  foundation  of  a  new  library  for  the 
Capitol.     These  ./ere  accepted,  and  have  been  since  grad- 
ually  augmented  by  the  appropriations  and  purchases  re- 
ferred  to,  till  they  have  arrived  at  their  present  number ; 
and  as  access  to  the  library  is  just  as  free  from  all  restraint 
as  access  to  the  halls  of  Congress  in  the  galleries  set  apart 
for  strangers,  or  to  the  president's  levies  and  drawing-rooms 
so  this  library  is  a  very  valuable  resource,  both  to  residemta 
and  visiters  at  the  city.     If  our  English  authorities  couU  bat 
learn  the  important  truth,  that  freedom  of  access  to  public 
institutions  is  not  necessarily  attended  with  rudeness  of  be- 
haviour  or  injury  to  their  contents,  a  vast  benefit  and  a  most 
softening  and  refining  influence  would  be  obtained  for  the 
British  population,  by  familiarizing  them,  through  the  me- 
dium  of  such  institutions,  with  the  pleasures  of  literature 
science,  and  art;  and  the  whole  nation,  nay,  the  whole 
world,  would  be  directly  or  indirectly  benefited  by  the 

The  president's  house,  which  is  next  in  importance  to  the 
Capitol  among  the  public  buildings  of  Washington,  is  situa- 
ted  at  a  distance  of  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  that  edifice, 

tLl^^  ZTuVv^'^T^  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  of  which 
these  two  buildings  form  the  apparent  termini  at  opposite 


Tvtua  orriois.  ^^ 

Thi.  residence  a  about  the  ibe  and  chariieu*  «f  -^ 
of  the  couufrv-seatB  of    .nr  m.W,n«  Ji     *'""''°*«'  "»  ■Mqr 
eflquire8,and  v    ahhv  pLI    ""*^^^«:''^«»«  ««»»try,  baronets, 

the  presidenf's  pirsonal  «..?       f  ««Pt'°n»  ""d  those  for 

the  whole  buSding  isthat  ^n.H  ^k    i^^^^n  apartment  in 
80  feet  by  40  Td^22  f«l»\    I      ^^^  ^^"^  ^"""^'  ^^^ich  ia 

and  Similar  establishments.  These^^e  all  «  '^' ^'^"'"'■y' 
and  well-built  edifices,  suitably  adapted  to  thr"'°"''  "'^*' 
purposes,  but  with  nothing  superfluous      As  t  u'^'P'^^'-^^ 

Wthe.^^^^^^^^^ 

served^^        '  department  we  were  shown,  carefZ  «'«: 

as  commander.in.chief  of  the  AmercaL  forces  sted^^^ 
John  Hancock,  which  Washington,  after  the  closf'f  wJ 

courts  tSXnSes  to  IZr  ""''"''  """''  "^  f°""f™ 
offices,  who  „e  n„l  »lt.rH  r '"'"'?'™  ^  ""■"  P*'  » 

T  ui,.  J.. — 1/  D  jfjiu|jcr- 


210 


WASHINGTON. 


ty.  Among  these  were  Damascus-blade  swords,  Cashmere 
shawls,  a  diamond  snuffbox,  and  other  valuable  gifts. 

In  the  war  department  we  saw  a  large  collection  of  the 
portraits  of  Indian  chiefs,  who  from  time  to  time  had  visited 
Washington  at  the  head  of  deputations ;  and  in  the  treasury 
department  the  original  standards  of  the  weights  and  meas- 
ures fixed  by  Congress  for  use  in  all  the  States. 

There  is  an  arsenal  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  city, 
on  the  point  of  confluence  between  the  Potomac  and  Ana- 
costa,  occupying  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  square,  in  which 
is  a  repository  of  arms,  a  collection  of  materials  for  their  man- 
ufacture, a  magazine  and  laboratories,  a  model-office  for 
patterns  of  all  improvements  in  military  weapons  or  engines, 
a  foundry,  and  a  steam-engine  of  twelve  horse  power.  The 
average  number  of  workmen  constantly  employed  here  is 
about  a  hundred.  The  stores  comprehend  about  800  pieces 
of  cannon  of  large  calibre,  and  about  40,000  stand  of  arms, 
with  requisite  accommodation  in  quarters  for  the  officers 
and  men. 

There  is  also  an  excellent  navy-yard,  which  is  seated  on 
the  Anacosta,  a  little  above  the  point  of  land  where  it  meets 
the  Potomac,  and  where  the  arsenal  is  planted.  This  yard 
occupies  about  thirty  acres  of  area  ia  space ;  it  is  walled-m 
towards  the  land,  and  is  open  towards  the  Anacosta  River, 
or,  as  it  is  more  generally  called  here,  the  Eastern  Branch. 
It  was  first  projected  by  President  Jefferson,  and  during  his 
administration  was  well  sustained.  It  is  fitted  with  every 
requisite  forthe  building,  rigging,  and  equipping  of  ships  of 
war  of  any  size :  the  vessels  already  built  here  are  among 
the  finest  which  the  navy  of  the  United  States  contains ; 
besides  several  sloops  of  war,  the  frigates  Essex,  Potomac, 
Brandywine,  ard  Columbia,  each  of  forty-four  guns,  are 
well  known ;  and  the  Columbus,  of  seventy-four  guns,  which 
was  also  built  here,  is  one  of  the  noblest  vessels  of  her  class. 

At  this  city  is  established  also  the  department  of  the  Gen- 
eral Postoffice ;  the  Indian  department  for  the  adjustment 
of  Indian  treaties,  payment  of  Indian  pensions,  and  settle- 
ment  of  Indian  disputes;  the  department  for  the  sale  of 
public  lands ;  the  department  for  the  preservation  of  pat- 
ents ;  and  the  department  for  registering  the  copyrights  of 
authors  in  the  United  States.  The  first  has  nothing  re- 
markable  in  it,  as  the  actual  postoffice  business  of  Wash- 
ington is  far  less  in  extent  than  that  of  any  of  the  great 
commercial  cities  on  the  coast;  and  its  administration  is 
regulated  by  the  postmaster-general,  who  is  a  member  of 


VANDALISM   OF  THB   BRITISH.  JJ| 

other  vlaEn^tr^d'LtitC  tf '""  '"  '''  """i 
to  the  flames  upward  of  10  Mnli?'     ?     ""'  consigned 

models  and  dra Ji^  beloS  T^h"'  '"™'"'?r'  "'"■  "■= 

respondenee  of ThefceomZhfd  Dr  T"h„'^'''^^  ~'- 

of  thi,  department,  wi.hTh^t«  e"eCrd':?\tetSo 

of  the  English,  at  least,  who  formed  the  destroySe  ar™ 
mem  of  incendiaries  that  laid  their  public  builS  fn  »,h« 
"rair  °'  """'"  "^•"''-'  -""-  -.iSed  to  ?ity  n»t 

two  tef  "'■,?''''"';  """hip  there  are  fourteen  in  number  • 
M  ,1.  ?•    °P°'""'  """«  Catholic,  three  Presbyterian  two 

Ndtr'Jf  r^^T"''  T  ^'™'-'».  -d  oriiuaS 
if  .K„  .     .u  *°  "  '"8'='  ">an  wiU  contain  a  consreeation 

tha'n'^hL*  ThT"  "T""''  ^"'^  "*''  "f  them  arf  sTaS 
te«  and  thel  f-^  "  °"  'T""'  ^^  "'''''  »''  ^'=»l<"'s  minis- 
V^iJ„    1  I     'u°  '"  Sieat  harmony  with  each  other     The 

fasS   et^XTr. '"  "■  """  'f^  »"»d«i  "y^'e 
uLie  ana  oinciai  puxi  oi  me  population ;  but,  in  addi- 


m 


WASHINGTON 


toon  to  these,  there  is  public  service  in  the  Hall  of  Repre- 
sentatives, at  which  the  chaplains  of  the  Senate  and  of  the 
House,  who  are  both  Methodists,  and  obtain  their  appoint- 
ment by  election  of  the  members,  alternately  officiate. 

I  Avas  told  a  remarkable  anecdote  by  a  member  of  Con- 
gress on  this  subject  of  alternate  duty,  which  I  had  an  op- 
portunity  of  testing  and  ascertaining  to  be  true.     The  hour 
fixed  by  law  and  regulation  for  the  opening  of  both  houses 
is  twelve  o'clock  at  noon,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  chaplain 
of  each  liouse  to  be  in  attendance  in  his  place,  to  commence 
the  proceedings  with  prayer.     It  was  thought  by  these  gen- 
tlemen, however,  that  a  slight  acceleration  or  retardation  of 
time  in  the  opening  of  the  respective  houses  would  enable 
one  of  them  to  do  the  duty  of  both  for  a  given  period,  du- 
ring which  the  other  might  be  relieved  from  duty  and  enjoy 
his  holyday,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  could  return  and 
release  his  friend;   so  that  the  burden  and  the  pleasure 
might  be  alternately  the  lot  of  each  in  equal  propottions. 
Accordingly,  the  clock  of  the  Senate  was  put  m^'en  min- 
utes and  a  half  in  advance  of  the  real  time,  and  the  clock 
of  the  House  of  Representatives  seven  minutes  and  a  half 
in  arrear,  so  as  to  keep  them  at  a  uniform  rate  of  fifteen 
minutes'  difference  from  each  other.     This  done,  the  one 
chaplain  performed  this  double  duty  by  first  opening  the 
Senate  with  prayer,  for  which  fifteen  minutes  was  ample 
time,  and  then,  stepping  across  the  Rotunda  into  the  other 
house,  he  there  repeated  the  same  formality,  so  that  each 
was  served  punctually  by  the  same  man,  according  to  the 
clocks  of  the  respective  houses. 

In  Washington  there  are  two  colleges  of  theological  ed- 
ucation, one  Protestant,  the  other  Catholic ;  there  are  a  few 
benevolent  institutions  en  a  very  small  scale,  three  banks,  a 
fire   insurance   company,  a  small   glass-manufactory,  five 
large  hotels,  and  a  great  number  of  boarding-houses  for 
strangers,  as  nearly  all  the  members  of  Congress  reside  in 
these  during  the  session,  and  keep  no  house-establishment. 
There  are  two  daily  papers,  one  in  support  of  the  Democrat- 
ic party,  the  Globe,  and  one  of  the  Whigs,  the  National  In- 
telligencer ;  two  tri-weekly,  the  Madisonian  and  the  Chron- 
icle, each  representing  a  separate  political  party ;  and  two 
weekly  papers,  the  Native  American,  founded  on  national 
prejudices,  and  another,  the  Huntress,  conducted  by  a  fe- 
male, sold  for  a  cent,  and  living,  like  the  slanderous  Morn- 
ing Herald  of  New- York,  on  abuse,  ridicule,  and  private 
history  of  private  individuals.    Here  are  four  market-hou- 


SOUTHKBK  8BNSITIVBKESS.  218 

BBS  for  provisions,  a  slave-market  for  the  sale  of  >.„«,      u 

M  connected  y^Mi" it  S^l^^!^^™°'^^ """"'''  "»-». 
lo  my  knowledge  whi^rfT''  '""^  anecdotes  came 

After  hg  ^^reXlt/SThetrcL^or^^^^^^^^^^ 
was  revoltine  as  he^n„„h!  .    ^     """'"  "='°'  "'■e"  it 

.i:i:^e5eVasXrx  ?S-  ^-^ 

w.s.L7Srcide„tX?:;cS"r"y;Xirh"'r"' 

and  next,  the  Gladia[or7whnTl    ,.    /^^P^^^*^^" 
Spartacus  to  rev^StThllT  ^*    ^"'t''  "^  ^"^'^^^  »>y 
cessfully,  and  obtinTe     freedo..'     n'  "^^'t  '^'^  ^«  «"°^ 
this,  Mr.'  Forrest's  benefit  was  a^ienJpVK"  t^  ^^"°^'"« 

it  for  repetitionf fcard  ,i^  ^"!^  *°  ^""°"n«« 

a.anto,ec.r.olb:'";:iet™:s^4r-t':»^^^^^^^^^^ 

*  This   mnttnr  «,o.    _..i. .. 


214 


WASHINGTON. 


filaves  18,  that  they  are  so  happy  and  contented  that  there  is 
no  need  of  change  !  and  that  they  are  so  satisfied  with  their 
present  condition  that  they  would  not  accept  of  their  free- 
dom if  it  were  offered  to  them ! 

The  private  buildings  in  Washington  are,  with  very  few 
exceptions,  small  and  mean,  and  offer  a  striking  contrast  to 
^e  great  public  edifices  of  the  Capitol  and  other  structures. 
The  number  of  wooden  houses  in  the  whole  area  of  the 
city  IS  much  greater  than  those  of  brick  ^  these,  too,  are  so 
scattered  m  detached  groups  and  single  isolated  dwellings, 
as  to  look  more  miserable  than  if  they  were  in  continuous 
streets.  The  portions  of  the  city  which  are  built  up  with 
any  regularity,  such  as  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  the  most  per- 
tect  of  them  all,  have  houses  of  such  diminutive  size,  and 
such  constantly  differing  heights,  styles,  orders,  and  descrip- 
tion, that  heterogeneousness  is  the  rule,  and  uniformity  the 
exception.  The  shops  are  also  small,  scantily  furnished, 
and  everything  seems  to  be  on  a  temporary  and  transitory 

oA^in  P^P"^«tion  of  Washington  is  estimated  at  pISsent  at 
>iO,000  persons,  of  whom  15,000  are  supposed  to  be  per- 
manent  residents,  and  the  remaining  5000  strangers,  visit- 
ing  the  city  on  business  or  pleasure,  including  members  of 
both  houses  of  Congress. 

The  wholR  of  this  population  is  subject  to  the  local  juris- 
diction  ot  a  municipal  body,  incorporated  hy  act  of  no„. 
gress  as  the  Corporation  of  Washington,  with  a  mayor  and 
aldermen,  elected  by  the  freeholders  of  property  within  the 
town,  and  chosen  annually.  These  have  the  power  to  raise 
the  city  revenue  by  an  annual  assessment  of  the  real  and 
personal  property  of  each  householder  within  its  limits,  and 
the  fixing  a  rate  of  impost  per  cent,  on  the  assessed  value  ; 
m  addition  to  this,  several  occupations  are  subjected  to  the 
necessity  of  a  license  for  carrying  them  on,  and  the  sale  of 
these  hcenses  furnishes  another  considerable  branch  of  rev- 
enue.  From  the  following  selections  from  the  abstract  of 
the  city  laws,  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  nature  of 
the  whole. 

Auctioneers  must  take  out  a  license,  for  which  100  dol- 
lars are  charged,  and  security  is  required  in  5000  dollars 
lor  payment  of  the  city  dues.  They  are  authorized  to 
charge  commissions  varying  from  one  to  five  per  cent.,  and 
the  corporation  is  entitled  to  receive  duties  on  such  sales 
varying  from  one  to  five  per  cent.  also.  Brick-kilns  are 
also  required  to  be  licensed,  and  all  carts  and  wagons  of 
every  kmd.     For  billiard- tables,  the  cost  of  the  license  is 


REVENUE  OF  THK   CITy.  «,- 

100  dollars  annually.     Confectioners  only  nav  tPn  ^.n 
year.     Taxes  are  oavablp  on  ri«„o  ♦       jS,y  ®"  dollars  a 
for  males,  and  fiveSai  oer  a„ 5  '   T  ?°""«  P^'  ^"""m 
untaxed  or  uncollared  dog  mayrriled  tT'  '  ^"^  ^^^ 
who  have  a  fee  of  a  dollfrTor^its  buril     U     "^^^^^^K 
lowed  to  go  at  larce  in  thp  Pitl  1\,      I  •      ^®  8®®«®  ^^  al- 
quarters  ;\ndan/y„"X?y^^^^^^^^^^  Z^  P-eribed 
hce,  and  handed  over  to  the  trustees  of  thf    ^  *^^  P°" 
payment  of  twenty-five  cents  abont  ?  k  i        PJ^°''  °"  ^^^ 
their  delivery.     Hacknev  rolh  ^^'"'"^  ^"S^^s^,  for 

each  for  their  licenses  a^d^h  ^^  '""  ^°"^'«  «  X^ar 
Tavern-keepers  paTsix\vdolkr.^^  ''  °'"  ^^^  »>y  ^^^• 
ge.  fifty  doLs.%:X'strp  dfe^iaTfi^^^^^^^^^ 

lars.^  Bread,  Sr  meat  fiTh   ''  T*^  P^/n^rokers  200  dol- 
saries,  are  a  1  subi'e"  to  as^^^  '  f"^  many  other  neces- 

-^ferythingratl^V^^^^^^^^^^  ^"'  ^"^^^"^^"' 

lars,  or  about  £160,000  sterling  Th«  oil  JT'"^^  ^°^" 
which  is  1000  dollaU  per  anmfm  1a\T^'^  °^.*^*'  ""«y°'» 
dermen  and  other  officers  Tv^oZt  a-  ^t^  ^^^"  *^«  "l" 
any  progress  be  made  in  Ihe  ^eSemo^nnf^^^f^  ^^^*^^' 
but  many  things  languish  trwanT^frdsA^^^^^  "T* ' 
are  the  street-lights:  gas  is  as  vPt  no  Jk  •  ^™°"g  t^iese 
ington,and  oil  is  very^scantilvsnnnl?.^  ^  '"  "'.^  ^"  W««^- 
publications  at  wSSC  L«Th r^^'  ^'  °""  °^  *^«  >•««««' 
onthesubiecf  «Thpm?l     •       !^^  expressive  paragraph 

out '  "     Tu^  n  ,      y°^^  °">  our  lamps  have  aon« 

reasmen?  fiT;:/ee*  %t?;t:;  r  T ''- «^^^^^^^ 

lar,  «.  .Ka.  a  s^ffi'lMoSXCTerarei^'"""  <""- 

1  ijui  ineir  inicrusi  and  utility. 
If  any  free  coloured  person  is  found  playing  at  cards, 


S16 


WASHINOTON. 


dice,  or  any  other  game  of  an  "immoral  tendency,"  or  is 
even  present  as  one  of  the  company,  though  not  engaged  in 
playing  himself,  he  may  be  fined  ten  dollars.      No  free 
blacks  or  mulattoes  can  have  a  dance  at  their  houses  with- 
out a  special  license  from  the  mayor,  specifying  the  place 
and  time  of  meeting,  number  of  guests,  and  hour  of  break- 
ing up,  under  a  penalty  of  ten  dollars.     No  coloured  per- 
son can  go  at  large  in  the  City  of  Washington  after  ten 
o'clock  without  a  pass  from  a  justice  of  the  peace.     Any 
free  black  found  under  this  act  refusing  or  being  unable  to 
pay,  may  be  committed  to  the  workhouse  for  six  months  for 
each  offence  ;  aitd  if  any  slave  subjects  himself  to  the  same 
penalties  and  cannot  pay,  then  "  he  or  she  may  be  senten- 
ced to  receive  any  number  of  stripes  on  his  or  her  bare 
back,  not  exceeding  thirty-nine !"     Such  is  the  condition  of 
those  "  happy  and  contented  beings,"  as  they  are  here  com- 
monly called,  "who  would  not,"  according  to  the  statement 
of  the  white  residents,  "have  their  freedom  if  you  would  of- 
fer it  to  them,"  but  who  are,  nevertheless,  not  permitted  to 
go  into  the  gallery  of  the  theatre  to  see  the  play  of  the 
Gladiator,  lest  the  revolt  of  Spartacus  and  his  fellow-slaves 
against  their  Roman  masters  should  induce  them  to  follow 
their  example  ! 

In  the   building-regulations  for  the  city  there  is  a  very 
singular  condition  imposed  on  the  builders  of  houses,  ex- 
pressed in  the  following  terms :  "  The  walls  of  no  house  to 
be  higher  than  forty  feet  to  the  roof  in  any  part  of  the  city, 
nor  shall  any  be  lower  than  thirty-five  in  any  of  the  ave- 
nues."    This  is  extracted  from  a  series  of  "terms  and  con- 
ditions for  regulating  the  materials  and  manner  of  the  build- 
ings in  the  City  of  Washington,"  bearing  date  October  17, 
1791,  and  signed  by  the  then  president.  General  Washing- 
ton, as  his  own  act  and  deed.     This  maximum  height  for 
the  houses  may  account  for  the  stunted  and  pigmy  style  of 
building  that  is  generally  characteristic  of  the  city,  and 
which  looks  the  more  diminutive  from  the  great  width  of 
the  avenues  :  but,  though  the  maximum  has  been  rarely  ex- 
ceeded, the  minivnum  is  constantly  violated,  as  there  are 
many  small  wooden  houses  not  twenty  feet  high  in  different 
parts  of  the  town ;  and  in  passing  through  the  principal  av- 
enues, which  were  originally  intended,  no  doubt,  to  look 
imposing,  the  lover  of  uniformity  and  good  taste  is  perpetu- 
ally shocked  by  the  succession  of  a  dozen  buildings  on  each 
side,  following  in  "  most  admired  disorder,"  no  two  of  which 
are  alike  in  height,  in  breadth,  in  design,  in  style,  or  in  di- 
nicn3io&3. 


VARIED  CLASSES. 


217 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Mce.  Manner8.-Great  Spe(»X.V2fr  p!i'if""~^f"'»«"  »f  »»>«  Senate,  Appear' 
the  Jewspapera on tSLefffomiSo D.«°8!;:^i"^"«^•*  P^'ton-OoiilioTof 
ury  BUI.-Opiniona  of  the  Prew  on  thS  .SS  &h  ''^n''  ^^^'••'"  *»»  *«  Treaa- 
great  Speech—Anecdote  of  Mr  WeSiff  P?^'^""®^''"?"'  "^  Mr.  Webater'a 
Waabington'.  Temper-Character  of  the  Ho^if„'?*S°'"''~'*"?*"^°'«  °^  Gen«al 
Membera.-John  QSSicy  Ad^a.-QuoSm  o??^!  ^  Kj"^'*"'"-K«"'"''able 
lie  Punerala  of  the  Membera  of  rnna™„     a      ■  "°«"«e— No  count  ng  out.— Pub- 

«onjK-PayoftheMlK4r?vSof7«„S'%f  .•"  Oration  on  auch  O^- 
lonable  Society  at  Waahinrton  "  M.Sf »1  'rank'n^.-State  of  the  general  and  f«h- 

Mr.  Wood.-HileIaof  wXnrt^^  ^""?'»  Concert.-AnSs  of 

of  New.York.-I)onieatic  Attefdmte  _^[;  «';r°^'*'r'"'^"°"'y  °f  •»*  '«  th«» 

&'^f"MiSi;i"'''«"'^-«"^^^^^^^^^^^ 

Plexfon'Z^VhT  °/  W^^i»gt°n  «  of  a  more  nMtley  com  ■ 

ml.  "f    L^"f  "*  ®*^*^''     Of  the  15,000  sfitled  residents 
KiH  I^S  have  come  from  all  part's  of  ^e  Union,  it  may 
be  sa  d  that  their  chief  characteristic  is  variety;  and  amon J 
i?!  tT^%i  """^  ^^^*^"  t^is  distinction  is  evin  stiUmorf 
marked      The  members  of  Congr^s,  for  instance,  ^omTof 
necessity,  from  every  state  in  t^  Union,  as  fixed  res^deice 
and  property  m  the  state  reivesented  are  necessary  qualifi 
cations.     With  many  of  .»e  members  it  is  usuaWbring 
their  famUies  for  the  .^^ssion.     These  attract  visiters  fof 
pleasure,  who  desire  «  see  the  Capitol,  hear  the  public  de! 
bates,  and  enjoy  th>  pleasures  and  parties  of  the  Washing, 
ton  world  of  fasHon ;  so  that  here,  perhaps,  more  tlfan^ 
any  other  city  ^  the  Union,  may  all  the  different  races  S 
Its  population  be  seen.     The  fierce  and  impetuoS^C W 
er,  the  ro»€h  and  unpolished  Western-m^n,  and  the  m^p 
caution,  and  prudent  iVbr^Aerner,  aU  mingle  ogefher ,'  3 
Indians  of  different  tribes,  coming  and  eoinp  oS  Hpn„  otT? 
law^l  traders,  land-speculators,  |amwfrs?f^^^^ 
ttZT^^  "P  the  variety,  and  give  a  tone  of  cSS 
and  recklessness  to  the  general  exterior  of  the  moving  cfowT 
such  as  none  of  the  Northern  cities  exhihJt  "%V"6^'owa» 
tion  of  the  black  and  mulaTto  ^le  ^  lo  v^^^^^^ 
equd  1   IS  thought,^including  the  free  and  the  ensLfd  to 
the  whole  number  of  the  whites,  as  all  the  domesScs  neilv 

a  l  of'th"^"?  °^  !f  ^^^^"^'  ^"^  ™°«^  «^  *he  labouring  S/ 

t":  i^^^^^i^P^^^  -  unpleasant itct  to' 

Vol.'L— E  V  ^^  "lai  occupy  them,  from  the  asso- 


S18 


WASHINGTON. 


w 


ciations  of  degradation  and  inferiority  which  the  presence  of 
the  whites  among  the  blacks  must  necessarily  connect  with 
the  condition  of  the  latter. 

Of  the  members  of  the  Senate,  fifty-two  in  number,  two 
being  elected  by  the  Legislature  of  each  of  the  separate 
states  of  the  Union  to  represent  them  in  this  body,  the  great- 
er number  are  undoubtedly  men  of  information  and  ability, 
and  some  of  very  distinguished  talents;  they  are  generally 
persons  above  the  middle  age,  of  competent  fortunes,  pos- 
sessors of  freehold  property  in  the  state  in  which  they  re- 
bide  ;  and  they  add  to  knowledge  experience,  gravity,  and 
sober  judgment. 

I  attended  the  Senate  often,  having  admission  to  the  floor 
among  the  members  themselves ;  and  on  two  occasions  I 
had  ii>^,  opportunity  of  hearing,  under  the  greatest  advanta- 
?^t'  *ln  ^^^^"^^^  °^  so"^e  of  their  most  eminent  orators : 
John  C.  CKlhoun,  from  South  Carolina ;  Henry  Clay,  from 
Kenuicky;  Colonel  Preston,  from  South  Carolina;  and 
Daniel  Webstei  from  Massachusetts.  To  show  that  these 
were  thought  moj»  highly  of,  and  that  the  particular  occa- 
sion  oi  their  speechu,  was  an  important  one,  I  subjoin  the 
notices  of  the  Washin^n  papers  on  the  occasion,  and  will 
then  add  an  observation  u,  them  of  my  own.  The  follow- 
mg  IS  from  the  Washington  ohronicle  of  xMarch  13, 1838,  a 
paper  advocating  the  mviolabir^y  of  state-rights,  and  gener- 
ally representing  the  extensive  Souhern  interests,  of  which 
Mr.  Calhoun  is  the  great  leader.     \q  editor  says : 

"We  presume  that  on  no  past  occasion  wa8<,here  so  mufh  intpr*.«f 
felt  in  the  Senate  as  on  Saturday  last.  It  was  th&m°s?d  '1  /  !7f^^^^ 
tlemenf  hety,een  the  senator  from  South  Carolina  alJhs  assailant  Mr" 
Clay  Ata  very  earlyhourin  the  morning,  the  gallerl^^^^Jhe  ante  c^^ 
ber,  the  doors  and  entrances,  every  vacant  spot,  were  iowdpd  to  ih« 
last  inch  of  space.  Hundreds  were  unable  to  get  within  hurin?  thoi Sh 
the  doors  that  led  to  the  Senate  Chamber  were  thrown  op«i?%'n"  n£^ 
those  who  could  not  see  to  hear.  The  House,  too,  adjourLd  at  an 
early  hour  (a  quorum  not  being  obtainable),  and  the  hall  pouredon  ff^ 
population  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate.  A  still,  earnest,  and  dense^n.,= 
filled  every  portion  of  tenable  space. 

"At  one  o'clock  Mr.  Calhoun  rose,  with  that  calm  dignity  which  s« 
eminently  distinguishes  him,  and  with  that  coolness  and  confidence 
which  belong  only  to  conscious  innocence.  He  commenced  by  brieflv 
reviewing  the  perversions,  omissions,  and  misstatements  which  char- 
acterized  the  late  criminating  speech  of  Mr.  Clay.  This  task  he  per- 
formed in  a  brief,  clear,  and  pointed  manner.  He  then  took  up  the 
particular  charges  of  inconsistency  one  by  one ;  went  back  to  the  com- 
mencement of  his  political  hfe,  and  traced  with  wonderful  force  and 
precision  the  great  questions  in  which  he  had  taken  part  from  1813  up 
to  the  present  tune.  He  adverted  to  the  rise,  progress,  and  termination 
of  the  great  questions  of  a  National  Bank,  the  Protective  Tariflf.  TntPr- 


MR.   CALHOVir. 


219 


the  banks.  He  read  codS  eit^n\«T^*T  °^  ^^^  government  with 
the  Senate  since  SfwasTmembeTi?  ZVSv  ZT^^^  ^'}''"'^^  *" 
ments  drawn  up  by  himself  while  ^no.hl  ^  ^i'^"*^  referred  to  docu- 
Bisiency  of  his'^.o^SrS^he  grou„3  e\'S^^  V^«  ««»" 

against  him  by  the  passionate  senator  from  Kentuikv  W  I'T^l 
this  retrospect  was  made  in  a  r««nn»«  »« Ji     ^^'""cky.     iiie  whole  of 

elusive,  Hs  to  car?yS,nvicLn7o  ever^^^^^^^^^^  «"*  «=on- 

ence  of  truth.  A  morrtrLmDhaiu  vT^iH^  ?  "°^  r '^^  "^"•""^  *»>«  '«««- 
lime  statesmanship^^ver  wSa?e  "att'sem  ir^Zf'-f"'!  ^f  * 

aj;Sei-sra5t^dH~^^ 

made  him  to  play  with  shadows     ^  '  P"'°"^^  ^"'^  P<^"«cal,  had 

sonaVbeXratwieVwndiSd^il  li'^.^-^jl^"*  ^-i"?  a  per- 
aspersions  of  his  aZmArrhe  apDitd  the  ^'' 'T  ^»»«  ""'Jignant 
stretched  his  own  limbs  on  t^e  wheef  For  kLS^SXir"''  ^"^ 

sSr^\  So^tTh^eS:^^^^ 

Msrei.-tKrsSE^ 

remarks  occupied  about  two  hours  S,  tl?.  Tf^'  **"*  >"«  '"at'ons.    His 

hurUng  tL^shaVKn"fdiSnt  innSS^^^^  patriotism,  and 

Perhaps  there  is  no  other  examnl^  fn  a«^   ?     ^schuies,  his  accuser, 
aptlv  illustrative  o^he  scene?  the  SenTrh'  T'^^™  J^islo^  more 

measures  o'J  policy  ca'^^Jy^a^ti?  t^Sl^  ll^.T^lZ 

wi^i'llT  *^i?  °P'"'°".  ""^  ^  P^'^^^^^"'  it  i«  t^ue ;  but  even 
with  a  1  the  allowance  for  the  high  colouring  in  Uich  oar 
tisan8h.p  t,,  oftenindulges,  this  l,rpassed  aV  mrprevfous" 
experience  m  matters  of  this  description.     I  wem  to  2 
Senate  strongly  impressed  with  the  most  favouraWe  exoec 
tations  from  Mr.  Calhoun  ;  and  agreeing  much  t^ore  ZIZ 

Sr';ST„^d"r  ^'^".^-  ^^^  ™pW  of  P— "g  "dS 
^U    I       ^-  }^^  mischievous  influence  of  irresDonsibl^ 

S^'ir  ""''^  ^^  °PP°"^"^«'  ^^^«  ^^«r«  advocates  o?hS 
tariffs  and  an  almost  unlimited  issue  of  paper  monpv  i?v 
prepossessions  would  assist  rithp-  tJ-t      -a    ™°"^y'  "^X 

js!,  rainei  tnau  xuiard,  a  favourable 


220 


WA8HIN0T0N. 


opinion.     But,  with  all  these  appliances,  truth  compels  me 
to  say  that  I  was  grievously  disappointed.     Mr.  Calhoun's 
style  of  speaking  is  what  would  be  called  in  England  clear, 
self-possessed,  and  firm ;  but  with  nothing  approaching  to 
eloquence,  and  the  entire  absence  of  all  action,  however 
gentle,  the  monotony  of  tone,  and  the  continual  succession 
of  emphasis  on  every  sentence,  made  it  tiresome  to  the  ear 
after  the  first  half  hour.    By  the  monotonous  voice  and 
perpetual  emphasis,  I    vas  reminded  strongly  of  Mr.  Mat* 
thias  Atwood,  the  memb  r  for  Whitehaven ;    and  by  the 
motionless  attitude  and  passionless  expression,  I  was  equally 
reminded  of  Mr.  Grote,  the  member  for  London.     As  far  as 
persuasion  may  be  considered  a  test  of  success,  I  could  not 
learn  in  any  quarter  of  this  being  the  effect  of  Mr.  Cal- 
houn's speech  on  a  single  individual :  and  I  Co  not  wonder 
at  it. 

Mr.  Clay  followed  Mr.  Calhv..  i,  and  spoke  at  still  greater 
length — about  three  hours.  He  professed  to  labour  under 
indisposition,  and  his  admirers  said  he  was  not  in  good 
voice ;  but,  making  all  allowance  for  these  drawbacks,  his 
effort  appeared  to  me  hardly  more  successful  than  Mr.  Cal- 
houn's. He  had  the  advantage,  no  doubt,  of  more  graceful 
elocution,  more  varied  intonation,  and  more  easy  and  uncon- 
strained action.  But  with  all  h's,  it  was  what  would  be 
thought  in  England  a  third  or  fourth  rate  speech,  such  as 
might  be  delivered  by  Sir  James  Graham,  Mr.  Poulett 
Thompson,  or  Mr.  Clay  of  London ;  clear  and  intelligible, 
and  sometimes  impressive,  but  having  nothing  of  the  higher 
characteristics  of  oratory  in  it.  And  yet,  by  Mr.  Clay's 
partisans,  this  speech  was  said  "  to  have  surpassed  all  that 
was  ever  delivered  in  ancient  or  modern  times,  in  any  age 
or  in  any  country  I"  So  excessive  is  the  exaggeration  in 
which  all  parties  seem  here  to  indulge. 

Colonel  Preston,  of  South  Carolina,  rose  at  the  close  of 
Mr.  Clay's  speech,  to  reply  to  some  unjust  aspersions,  as  he 
considered  them,  on  the  political  conduct  of  the  NuUifiers, 
as  they  were  called,  of  the  state  he  represented.  He  spoke 
for  about  half  an  hour,  with  his  arm  in  a  sling,  and  still 
suffering  from  a  recent  accident  by  which  he  had  been  hurt. 
His  language,  emphasis,  gesture,  and  action  were  more  ele- 
gant than  either  of  those  who  preceded  him ;  and  his  speech 
was,  to  my  judgment,  by  far  the  most  eloquent  and  impress- 
ive of  the  day,  and  might  be  compared  with  a  speech  of 
Mr.  Canning,  Lord  Holland,  or  any  other  of  the  more  im- 
passioned speakers  of  the  old  English  school. 


MR.   WEB8TSB. 

H^l:  Ynflu""   *'*'''"?  ""^y^^   *^«    adjournment  of  the 
House,  had  the  possession  of  the  floor,  as  it  is  called   for 

to  fivrV^^^'  "?  ""^''^  ^'  ^P^'^^  ^°'  f«"'  hours,  fronf'one 

Z^  n?o^-        ^°"ow\"g  day  at  one,  he  closed  about  four 
thus  makmg  a  speech  of  seven  hours  on  the  main  aueS 
m  debate,  namely  the  merits  and  defects  of  the  sltrasurJ 
bill,  from  which  the  speeches  of  the  others  were  merely  enL 
sodes  or  digressions  for  the  settlement  of  person^  dfsputS 
A  speech  of  seven  hour^  would  be  deemed  of  intoraWe 
leng  h  in  England ;  but  here  it  is  not  at  all  unusual  for  ! 
speaker  to  occupy  the  floor  for  three  days  in  the  sessLnleak! 
ing  four  hour*  m  each;  for  no  sort  of  restraint  seems  to 
be  placed  on  the  orator,  who  may  wander  over  every^opic 
that  his  njmd  suggests,  and  no  one  rises  to  call  him  to^o  dei 

der  S  il'"  ^r^'^-  *V''  '^"^^^^°"'  *^°^^^^«'  ^^'  h«  "»^y  zan- 
der irom  It.     An  instance  was  mentioned  to  me  of  the  late 

John  Randolph,  a  senator  from  Virginia,  speaking  for  twelve 
hours  in  succession,  from  one  in  The  afternoon^o  one  on 
the  following  morning.     By  the  Constitution  the  Congress 
must  expire  on  the  3d  of  March,  at  midnight,  in  the  second 
year  after  its  being  elected ;  and  as  some  measure  wTbe- 
T  u   n.®^"^^^^  "^^'""^  ^^"*^**  °"^y  the  third  reading   and 
which  Mr.  Randolph  desired  to  defeat,  he  spoke  a%tn"t 
time   and  continued  on  his  legs  till  the  Congress  had  ex- 
pired  by  law,  at  one  in  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  March  • 
by  which  the  measure  was  of  course  extinguished  ' 

Mr.  Webster  is   and  I  think  justly,  considered'to  be  the 
most  powerful  orator,  he  best  reasoner,  and  the  most  sound! 
judging  of  all  the  senatorial  or  representative  body ;  yet  even 
he,  I  thmk,  IS  greatly  overrated.     The  doctrine  of  high  dmLs 
tariffs  and  protection  for  domestic  manufactures,  so^longex: 
ploded  by  all  the  best  writers  on  political  economy  in^'u- 
rope  (French   Italian,  and  German,  as  well  as  Engl  shM« 
dear  to  Mr  Webster,  and  he  lauds  it  as  the  keysTone  of  ihe 
American  System.     Bank  monopolies,  and  the  possess  on 
of  the  immense  power  which  such  monopolies  give  to  those 
who  enjoy  them  appear  to  him  wholeson^e  and1>enela?^^ 
trade      He  is  what  m  England  would  be  called  truly  Con- 
servative ;  and  if  he  were  in  the  English  House  of  Commons 
he  would  act  with  Mr.  Matthias  Atwood,  Mr.  AldeTman 
Thompson,  Mr.  George  Robinson,  Mr.  Aaron  Chapman 
and  Mr  George  Frederic  Young,  on  all  quesUons  K".' 
tection  for  shippmg  and  trade.     He  is,  ni  doubt,  a  more 
able  man  than  anv  o<^  th^""    wA  -  ^-  '     ■<  V  - 

J  1,.  iiiv.3^^,  auU  tt  lur  uuiler  speaker,    in- 


288 


WASHlNOTOrr. 


deed,  he  may  be  justly  called  a  statesman  and  an  orator,  and 
in  both  these  capacities  he  seemed  to  me  far  superior  to  Mr. 
Clay  or  Mr.  Calhoun,  the  former  of  whom  entertains  all 
Mr.  Webster's  contracted  views  about  the  tariff  and  bank 
monopolies,  while  the  latter  is  the  gentleman  who  declared 
♦*  that  the  slavery  of  the  blacks  was  the  most  perfect  guar- 
antee of  freedom  for  the  whites,"  and  who  had  such  just 
conceptions  of  this  freedom  as  to  declare  that,  "  if  the  whites 
of  South  Carolina  could  but  catch  an  abolitionist  within  their 
borders,  they  would  hang  him  up  .without  judge  or  jury." 
But  that  the  partisans  of  Mr.  Webster  might  not  be  behind 
those  of  Mr.  Calhoun  and  Mr.  Clay,  the  following  were  the 
eulogiums  of  the  two  Washington  papers  of  the  day  follow- 
ing, March  14th.     The  Washington  Chronicle  says  : 

"Mr.  Webster  concluded  his  speech  on  Tuesday  in  opposition  to  the 
Sub-treasuiy.  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  efforts  of  his  life  ; 
portions  of  it  certainly  surpassed  anything  we  have  heard  or  read  The 
battery  he  opened  upon  Mr.  Calhoun,  it  must  be  admitted,  was  over- 
wnelmtng." 

The  National  Intelligencer  of  the  same  date,  which  is 
generally  one  of  the  most  subdued  of  the  puWic  journals  in 
its  tone  of  praise  or  censure,  says, 

"Mr.  Webster  concluded  yesterday,  in  the  Senate,  his  great  speech— 
we  may  say  the  greatest  of  all  his  speeches-on  the  Constitution  and  the 
Union,  their  ongm,  powers,  and  obligations.  The  solemnity  and  elo- 
quence of  his  close  were  as  impressive  and  aoul-stirring  as  his  argument 
had  b«en  transcendent  and  unanswerably.  In  saying  thus  much  of  this 
extraordinary  speech,  there  is  not  one  of  the  crowded  auditory  which 
heard  him  who  will  deem  the  praise  too  high,  nor  one  of  his  distin 
guished  peers,  however  eminent,  who  will  consider  it  as  deroiatinir 
fi-om  his  own  just  claims  to  distinction  as  a  statesman  or  an  orator." 

Now,  although  this  great  effort  of  Mr.  Webster's  would 
have  been  thought  a  good  speech  in  either  house  of  Perlia- 
meiit,  or  at  any  public  meeting  in  England,  it  certainly 
Avould  not  be  described  in  terms  of  such  extreme  eu- 
logy  as  is  here  bestowed  upon  it.  It  was  far  inferior  to 
speeches  delivered  in  every  session  in  England  by  such 
speakers  as  Lord  Lyndhurst  and  Lord  Brougham  in  the  up- 
per  house,  and  by  Sir  Robert  Peel,  Mr.  O'Connell,  Lord 
Stanley,  and  Mr.  Shiel  in  the  lower  house ;  and  the  only 
way  in  which  I  could  account  for  this  extravagant  praise  of 
It,  was  to  attribute  it  partly  to  the  bias  which  partisanship 
gives  to  all  opinions,  and  partly  to  the  want  of  familiarity 
virith  higher  models  of  excellence  than  those  by  whom  they 
are  surrounded. 

In  personal  appearance  Mr.  Webster  is  rather  above  the 


COMFAKUO.,     '.MiWMN   WASHINGTON    AND    WIBSTIR.      838 

middle  8126,  and  presents  the  figure  of  a  powerfully  athletic 
man.     His  complexion  is  very  dark,  as  much  so  as  that  of  the 
darkest  Spaniard,  and  his  full  hair  is  jet  black.     His  counted 
nance  is  striking ;  but,  from  his  large  dark  eyes,  full  overhang, 
ing  eyebrows,  and  curl  of  the  lip,  the  expression  is  not  that  of 
^'^f^^'W^^^l^olence.     It  is  said  that  a  friend  once  re- 
marked  to  him  the  impression  which  his  countenance  had 
convened  to  a  skdful  phymognomist,  and  his  answer  w^, 
1"V    "f  ^f.^here  ,s  hardly  a  man  breathing,  perhaps 
who  by  nature  is  more  disposed  to  the  indulgence  of  strong 
passions  than  myself;  and  it  requires  the  constant  exercTsf 
nrpvpnl'?;;^  moral  restraint,  and  the  greatest  vigilance,  to 
prevent  these  passions  getting  the  mastery  over  rne."     So 

T^2^^-  g'^**^'/?^"*  and  honour  in  the  victory  which  he 
thus  obtains  over  his  nature. 

A  similar  story  to  this  is  told  of  General  Washineton 
with  whom  Mr.  Webster  will  not   be   ashamed  of  bein^ 

staTeC^-  T^u^\^''  ^^^^  ^"^^^**««  as  a  soWer  anf 
statesman,  and  with  the  undoubted  purity  of  his  conduct  in 
public  and  private  life,  in  which  he  was^  equal  y  free  from 
everything  that  was  either  corrupt,  sordid,  or^mea^n  GenerS 
Washington  was,  nevertheless,  extremely  subject  o  violent 
ebdhtions  of  anger,  though  he  almost  instantly  sruggS^o 
subdue  them;  and  when  an  English  painter  who  took  Ws 
portrait,  Gilbert  Stuart,  remarked  to  him  that  his  head  and 
countenance  mdicated  the  possession  of  strong  passiansT 
made  an  answer  simUar  to  that  of  Mr.  Webster,  Zd  la 
mented  its  truth.  cr,^im  la- 

J«tpr  th^°"'^.u*'^<?^P'^'^"!^*^'^^''  *^°"g^  **»«  n»»nbers  are 
K  Ur^"t      Senate-there  being  244  members  instead 

.^LtJ^'n  ^  i  !-^^"/'"^  ^  """^^^  proportioned  to  iti^^pop- 
ulation,  in  the  ratio  of  one  member  to  every  47,000  Der«wn  Jl 
yet  the  prominent  speakers  are  fewer  in  number  and  lesVemT 

HoilVfT''^""- .  ^^'  "^^"^^  distinguished  members  ofThe 
House  of  Representatives  are,  indeed,  almost  sure  to  become 
members  of  the  Senate,  which  thus  distils,  as  it  were  t™e 
essence  of  the  elected  body,  and  absorbs  it  inlo  itself  There 
are,  however,  in  the  lower  house  a  number  of  men  of  fair 
alents  and  respectable  powers  of  oratory,  especially  among 
the  legal  members,  who  form,  perhaps,  a  majority  of  °he 
whole  number.  Mr.  John  Quincy  Adams,  4e  e^x-pres^ 
dent,  and  son  of  the  third  president  of  the  United  Spates  ll 
the  most  eminent  and  remarkable  man  in  the  House  ofR;n! 
resentatives  at  present ;  and  it  is  something  new  to  see  a^n 
mdividual  takmg  his  seat  among  the  repreLtaU.- of  the 


!■»;?< 


Il'^  f  ■ 


224 


WASHINGTON. 


people  who  had  occupied  the  highest  post  of  power  as  pres- 
ident,  but  who,  in  descending  from  that  high  office,  wag 
content  to  merge  himself  into  the  great  body  of  citizens,  and 
to  become  again  their  member.     Mr.  Adams  has  been  in 
public  life  since  he  was  fifteen,  being  then  secretary  to  his 
father.     He  has  filled  the  office  of  ambassador  at  several 
foreign  courts  of  Europe  ;  at  home  he  has  been  secretary  of 
state,  senator,  president,  and  he  is  now  a  representative  at 
the  age  of  seventy.     He  is  admitted  to  be  the  most  learned 
of  all  the  public  men  of  America,  adding,  however,  to  his 
book-learning  an  extensive  knowledge  of  the  world  and  ex- 
perience in  public  affairs;  but  the  noble  stand  he  has  always 
taken  against  slavery  causes  him  to  be  an  object  of  distrust, 
if  not  of  hatred,  to  those  members  who  desire  to  perpetuate 
that  degrading  institution,  and  therefore  he  is  more  fre- 
quently  annoyed  and  interrupted  in  his  proceedings  than  he 
would  be  if  less  firm  and  less  consistent  in  his  course.     His 
habits  are  peculiar :  he  has  risen  every  morning  of  his  life 
for  the  last  forty  years,  it  is  said,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, lighting  his  own  fire  in  the  winter  at  that  hour,  and  in 
the  summer  taking  an  early  daylight  walk  ;  and  before  the 
hour  of  the  meeting  of  Congress  arrives,  which  is  noon,  he 
has  usually  performed  a  good  day's  work.     He  has  kept  a 
full  record,  it  is  asserted,  of  all  the  most  interesting  events 
of  the  times,  and  especially  those  of  which,  though  relating 
to  pul^lic  affairs,  he  may  be  said  to  know  the  secret  history 
and  working ;  and  it  is  added  that  he  has  no  less  than  sev- 
enty-five  folio  manuscript  volumes  of  this  description,  writ- 
ten  with  his  own  hand.     I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him 
often,  m  interchanges  of  visits  during  my  stay  at  Washington, 
and  can  testify  to  the  great  extent  of  his  general  informa- 
tion,  his  humane  and  liberal  principles,  his  fine,  clear  intel- 
lect  and  vigorous  mental  power,  and  his  very  cheerful  and 
agreeable  maimers. 

The  absorption  of  the  public  interest  by  the  proceedings 
of  the  Senate,  in  consequence  of  the  Sub-treasury  bill,  the 
great  measure  of  the  session,  being  now  before  that  body, 
prevented  any  business  of  importance  being  done  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  beyond  mere  matters  of  course; 
and  it  often  happened,  while  the  great  speakers  were  enga- 
ged m  the  Senate,  that  the  members  of  the  other  house 
crowded  to  hear  them,  so  that  their  own  assembly  became 
deserted.  No  public  business  can  be  legally  transacted  by 
either  house  unless  there  is  a  quorum ;  but  that  quorum,  in- 
stead of  being,  as  it  is  with  us,  forty  for  the  Commons  and 


PCTBLIC   rUNERALS. 


225 


five  for  the  Lords,  must  consist  of  an  actual  majority  of  the 
whole  number  of  the  assembly,  namely,  27  out  of  52  sena- 
tors, and  123  out  of  the  244  representatives.     If  in  any 
oountmg  of  the  members,  however,  that  number  does  not 
appear,  the  house  is  not,  therefore,  of  necessity  adjourned, 
as  with  us ;  but  the  speaker  is  required  to  wait  until,  by  the 
addition  of  other  members,  the  quorum  may  be  completed, 
as  there  are  persons  in  attendance  or  near  at  hand  who  may 
be  summoned  for  the  purpose.     The  trick,  therefore,  of 
counting  out  the  house,"  so  often  and  so  unworthily  re- 
sorted to  by  the  ministers  in  England  to  get  rid  of  disagree- 
able motions  which  they  are  either  ashamed  or  afraid  to 
oppose  openly,  and  desire  to  "  burke,"  as  it  is  caUed,  by  a 
manoeuvre,  is  not,  therefore,  resorted  to  here. 

The  most  solemn  of  the  proceedings  that  we  witnessed  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  v  -re  the  funeral  ceremonies 
attending  the  death  of  two  of  its  members ;  one  the  late 
Mr.  Cilley,  kiUed  by  Mr.  Graves  in  a  duel,  which  has  been 
abready  adverted  to,  and  the  other  a  member  from  the  same 
State,  who  died  from  natural  illness  just  three  weeks  after- 
ward.    It  is  a  rule  of  both  houses,  that,  when  any  m.ember 
of  either  dies,  he  shall  be  honoured  with  a  public  interment: 
and  the  custom  is  to  adjourn  both  houses  for  two  days, 
when  they  meet  to  attend  the  funeral  in  a  united  body, 
accompanied  by  the  president  and  all  his  cabinet,  with  heads 
of  departments.     The  sum  of  2000  dollars  is  appropriated 
m  every  such  case  from  the  public  funds  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses :  one  item  of  which  is  to  engage  all  the  hackney- 
coaches  of  the  city,  to  convey,  free  of  cost,  whoever  chooses 
to  attend  the  procession  from  the  Capitol  to  the  place  of  in- 
terment ;  and,  long  as  this  train  of  carriages  always  is,  they 
are  sure  to  be  well  filled  with  gratuitous  occupants.     It  is 
also  usual  for  some  friend  in  each  house  to  make  a  formal 
announcement  of  the  death,  and  the  occasion  is  then  taken 
to  pronounce  a  eulogy  on  the  deceased.     As  an  illustration 
of  the  manners  of  the  country,  and  a  fair  sample  of  the  taste 
of  such  compositions,  I  subjoin  the  one  pronounced  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  on  this  occasion,  taken  from  the 
National  Intelligencer  of  March  16,  under  the  ordinary  head 
of  ''Proceedings  in  Congress,"  to  which  are  appended  the 
jresolutions  which  are  invariably  adopted  on  the  death  of 
every  member  without  distinction. 

"  HOUSE  OP  REPRESENTATIVES. 
"  As  soon  as  the  House  was  onirani7Pd  this  innmin<r 
"Mr.  i!,vans^f  Maine,  addressel  tiie  Chair  in  the  foUowing  worda: 
Vol.  I. — F  p 


226 


WASHINGTON. 


«^.  ^l  ?5®*H.^u=  T^®",®  ^*^^^'  °^  mourning  which  wo  still  wear  de- 
note that  death  has  lately  been  in  the  midst  of  ua.  Again  his  arrow  has 
flown  ;  and  again  has  the  fatal  shaft  been  sent,  with  unerring  aim,  into 
a  small  and  already  broken  rank.  It  is  my  melancholy  office  to  an- 
nounce that,  since  the  last  adjournment  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
Uves,  nmothy  Jarvis  Carter,  then  one  of  its  members  from  the  Slate 
of  Matne,  has  surrendered  up  to  the  Being  who  gave  it  a  life  upon  which 
many  anxious  hopes  depended,  and  for  whose  preservation  many  an  ar- 
dent  prayer  had  gone  up  to  the  Father  of  all  Spirits.  He  died  last  even- 
ing at  10  o  clock,  at  his  lodgings  in  this  city,  after  a  sickness  of  not 
very  protracted  duration,  but  of  great  and  excruciating  intensity  of  suf- 
fering  and  agony.  The  ways  of  a  righteous  Providence  are  inscrutable ; 
and,  while  we  bow  in  submission,  we  are  yet  oppressed  with  deep  and 
solemn  awe.  ^        rr  f  oiiu 

-"Our  deceased  friend  and  colleague  was  a  native  of  the  state  and  the 
distnct  which  so  lately  he  represented  in  this  branch  of  Congress  ;  and 
he  therefore  brought  with  him  the  confidence,  largely  bestowed,  of 
those  who  had  known  him  from  his  eariiest  years.  Well  did  he  deserve 
Jt.  His  character  for  probity,  integrity,  uprightness,  morality,  was  free 
iroM  spot  or  blemish.  His  principles  were  well  founded.  Loving  the 
country  of  his  birth  and  its  institutions  with  all  his  heart,  he  pursued 
with  fidelity  such  measures  as  his  judgment  deemed  best  calculated  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  the  one  and  the  durability  of  the  other.  He  was 
a  lawyer  by  profession ;  faithful,  just,  discriminating,  attentive,  humane 
in  Its  ]»ractice. 

"  Of  manners  mild,  courteous,  affable,  and  a  temper  kind,  concilia- 
ting,  patient,  he  won  respect  and  attachment  even  from  those  who  dif- 
fered with  him  in  matters  of  opinion ;  and  probably  there  lives  not  a 
human  being  who  has  a  single  resentment,  or  one  unkind  recollection, 
to  bury  in  his  grave.  He  has  gone,  in  the  strength  of  his  manhood  and 
the  maturity  of  his  intellect,  the  road  that  all  must  once  pass, 
'  — calcanda,  semel,  via  lethi.' 

lies  m'*'t'r  *^**  *'5""*^  ''*"*  *°  "''^  ^®  severed  forever,  as  aii  human 

Linquenda  tellus,  et  dotnus,  et  atnans 
Uxor ;  neque  harum,  quas  colis,  arborum 
Te,  prater  invisas  cupressos 
Uila,  brevem  domintun  sequetur.' 

-J^'Ji!*'*°V^^'.I?'^^1S  .'j''  *y®^  °P^"^^  fo'"  *^e  last  time  upon  the  earth 
and  the  sky,  they  fell  not  upon  his  own  native  hills ;  though  the  sod 
which  shall  cover  him  will  not  freshen  in  the  same  influences  which 
clothe  them  m  verdure  and  beauty;  though  he  died  far  from  his  home 
the  companions  and  the  brothers  of  his  childhood  were  with  him  •  the 
sharer  of  his  joys,  the  solace  of  his  griefs,  stood  by  him ;  and  the  hand 
which  could  best  do  it  assuaged  the  bitter  pains  of  parting  life     The 
last  earthly  sounds  which  fell  upon  his  ca.  were  tones  of  sympathy! 
and  kindness,  and  affection,  and  support ;  to.ies  which  ceased  not;  even 
when  they  vainly  strove  to  pierce  the  cold  and  leaden  ear  of  death 
Tears  shall  flow  copiously,  and  deep  sighs  be  heaved  over  his  lifeless 
form;  tears  not  more  scalding,  sighs  not  deeper  drawn,  because  min- 
gled with  any  bitter  recollections,  any  unavailing  regrets. 

If  human  means  could  have  availed;  if  devoted  fraternal  sympathv 
and  care ;  if  constant,  abiding,  self-sacrificing  affection,  triumphing  over 
exhausted  nature,  and  bearing  up  a  feeble  frame,  unconscious  of  weari- 
ness through  long  and  painful  vigils,  could  have  saved  his  life,  he 

n^  11  r^     .     ^!^.  ^P^*"^*^  ^°  *^®  f"«"^8  who  now  deplore  his  death, 
and  to  the  state  and  to  the  country  which  he  served.    To  that  sirioirAn 


FRANKING  PRITILEOK. 


227 


Jwsotn  we  proffer-alas !  how  little  will  it  avail  !-our  sincere  uympa- 
thy  and  condolence.  He  has  Kone  from  this  place  of  earthly  honoure 
S^nJi"™/"'  <^'?^'"c.i'on8  to  a  seat  in  that  'house  which  is  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  ni  the  heavens.' 

"As  a  token  of  our  regard  for  his  many  virtues,  and  of  our  respect 
8ubmU.™^"°''^'     """^  ^^^  adoption  of  the  resolutions  which  I  Zw 

"Resolved,  That  the  members  and  officers  of  this  House  will  attend 
the  funeral  of  T.molhy  J.  Carter,  deceased,  late  a  member  of  tWs 
House  from  the  State  of  Maine,  at  12  o'clock  on  Saturday,  the  I7?h  inst 
♦«../    .u   ;  *  "at  »  committee  be  appointed  to  take  order  for  superin- 
tending the  funeral  of  Timothy  J.  Carter,  deceased.  ^ 
Resolved,  That  the  members  and  officers  of  this  House  will  testify 

"  These  resolutions  were  unanimously  agreed  to." 

The  members  of  both  houses  are  paid  at  the  rate  of  eiffht 
dollars  per  day  for  their  attendance  during  the  session,  and 
a  certam  amount  per  mile  for  their  journeys  to  and  from 
thm  homes  to  Washington  ;  a  remuneration  which  is  not 
suthciently  large  to  tempt  persons  to  become  representa- 
tives  or  senators  for  the  salary  of  the  office,  yet  large  enough 
to  defray  the  actual  cost  of  their  living,  and  not  to  make 
the  discharge  of  the  public  business  a  pecuniary  burden  to 
themselves  ;  and  as  the  pay  and  travelling  expenses  of  the 
members  are  defrayed  out  of  the  general  revenue,  no  con- 
stituent  body  feels  it  to  bear  heavily  on  them.     There  is  no 
privilege  enjoyed  by  them,  as  far  as  I  could  learn,  but  that 
ot  Iranking;  but  this  is  carried  to  a  much  greater  extent 
than  m  England.     The  number  of  the  letters  they  may  send 
out  or  receive  m  any  day  is  unlimited ;  the  weight  of  letters 
must  not  exceed  two  ounces ;  but  public  documents  and 
printed  papers  arc  sent  and  received  without  reference  to 
weight  or  number.     The  member  is  not  obliged  to  write  the 
whole  of  the  directions  in  his  own  hand,  as  with  us,  nor  to 
put  any  date  at  all  upon  the  cover ;  but  if  any  number  of 
letters  are  taken  to  him,  under  two  ounces  each,  and  ad- 
dressed  by  any  other  person,  aU  that  is  required  is  that  he 
should  write  the  word  "free,"  and  add  his  signature  on 
any  part  of  the  cover,  and  this  ensures  its  free  transit  by 
post  to  every  part  of  the  country. 

Of  the  general  society  at  Washington,  in  the  morning  vis- 
Its  and  evening  parties  of  the  most  fashionable  circles,  we 
had  a  good  opportunity  of  judging  during  our  stay  among 
them.  With  more  of  ostentation,  there  is  less  of  hospitality 
ana  less  oi  elegance  than  in  New- York,  and  a  sort  of  aris- 


WASHINGTON. 


i    ■ 


tocratic  air  is  strangely  mingled  with  manners  far  from  pol- 
Mhed  or  refined.     The  taste  for  parties  of  pleasure  is  so 
general,  however,  that  dissipation  may  be  said  to  be  the 
leading  characteristic  of  Washington  society,  and  one  sees 
this  fearfully  exhibited  in  the  paleness  and  languor  of  the 
young  ladies,  who  are  brought  here  from  their  homes  to  be 
introduced  into  fashionable  life.     These  are  seen  in  a  state 
ot  feebleness  and  exhaustion,  from  late  hours  and  continued 
excitement,  long  before  their  forms  are  fully  developed  or 
their  constitutions  perfectly  formed;  and  while  these  rava- 
ges  are  committed  on  their  bodies,  their  minds  are  neither 
cultivated  nor  strengthened,  as  the  gossip  and  talk  of  the 
morning  is  usually  but  a  recapitulation  of  the  adventures 
and  occupations  of  the  evening.     During  all  our  stay,  in  aU 
our  visits,  I  do  not  remember  a  single  instance  in  which  any 
literary  or  scientific  subject  was  the  topic  of  conversation, 
or  the  merits  of  any  book  or  any  author  the  subject  of  dis- 
cussion.    There  seemed,  in  short,  united  in  the  circles  of 
Washington  all  the  pretensions  of  a  metropolis  with  all  the 
Invohty  of  a  watering-place,  and  the  union  was  anything 
but  agreeable.  •'       ° 

Besides  the  opportunities  we  possessed  of  seeing  the  lar- 
gest  assemblages  at  the  president's  drawing-room  and  at 
private  parties,  we  attended  a  concert  given  by  Madame 
Caradon  Allan,  at  Carusi's  Saloon,  where  it  was  said  all 
the  beauty  and  fashion  of  Washington  were  present,  and, 
being  advantageously  seated,  we  had  the  best  opportunity 
of  observation.     The  female  beauty  was  not  to  be  compa- 
red,  in  number  or  degree,  to  that  which  we  had  seen  in  sun- 
liar  assemblages  at  New-York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore 
nor  was  there  nearly  as  much  elegance  of  dress  or  ffrace- 
fulness  and  propriety  of  manner.     The  ladies  were  noisy 
and  almost  vociferous  in  their  conversation,  which  is  con- 
trary  to  the  general  habit  of  American  ladies,  who  are  more 
tranquU  and  retiring  in  mixed  society  than  the  English- 
and  the  men  were  in  general  boisterous  in  their  manners' 
with  a  greater  attempt  at  playing  the  dandy  or  beau,  than 
we  had  before  observed  in  our  journey  through  the  country. 
I  he  concert-room  was  very  large,  and  the  ladies  were  in- 
termingled  m  all  parts  with  the  gentlemen ;  yet  the  greater 
number  of  these  last  stood  up,  even  during  the  performance, 
while  the  ladies  were  seated  behind  and  beside  them;  many 
kept  their  hats  on,  and  a  great  number  came  with  stout 
walking-sticks;  so  that,  when  any  y-vet  of  the  music  was  ap. 
plauded,  it  was  done  by  the  loudest  knocking  nf  th«9«  ^tioL 


CARADORi  Allan's  concert. 


229 


against  the  floor  instead  of  the  clapping  of  hands.    In  the 
remote  part  of  the  room  some  of  the  ladies  stood,  and  the 
gentlemen,  still  desirous  of  being  above  them,  then  left  the 
floor  and  stood  on  the  benches;  while  behind  these  again 
and  near  to  the  door,  were  two  gentlemen  seated  on  thi  tOD 
of  the  elevated  steps  by  which  the  candles  were  lighted 
Among  the  persons  standing  on  the  benches,  the  figure  of 
Mr.  Clay,  the  great  orator  of  the  Senate  and  leadef  of  the 
Whig-Cunservative  party,  was  conspicuous;  yet  it  attracted 
no  particular  attention,  as  if  it  were  nothing  unusual.     The 
same  sort  of  rudeness,  disorder,  and  noise  often  occurs  in  the 
theatre  where  it  is  said  the  beating  of  the  walking-sticks  of 
the  audience  on  the  partitions  is  sometimes  so  violent  that  the 
house  seems  to  be  in  danger  of  coming  to  pieces  if  a  minute 
or  two  more  should  elapse  thaji  the  audience  may  think  prop, 
er  between  the  acts;  but  in  a  concert-room  we  had  not  ex, 
pected  such  displays  as  this.  The  excuse  given  for  it  was.  that 
It  was  occasioned  by  the  large  admixture  of  Southern  and 
Western  people^  who  are  less  refined  than  those  from  the 
North  and  the  East;  and  also  that  the  members,  idle  stran- 
gers,  and  visiters  who  make  up  such  assemblages,  come  to 
them  rather  as  a  rendezvous  than  for  the  sake  of  the  per- 
formance,  and  therefore  wish  to  be  at  their  ease. 

As  the  company,  though  numerous,  was  composed  of  per- 
sons  of  the  least  personal  beauty,  the  plainest  dresses,  and 
the  rudest  manners  that  we  had  before  remembered  to  have 
seen  congregated  anywhere  in  America,  I  had  imagined  that 
It  was  not  a  fair  specimen  of  a  Washington  fashionable  as- 
sembly ;  but  aU  to  whom  I  ventured  to  express  this  opinion- 
corrected  me  by  the  assurance  that  they  had  never  before 
seen  so  brilliant  an  audience  collected  at  a  concert  here  • 
and  the  leading  journal  of  the  following  day,  the  National 
Intelligencer  of  March  22,  which  spoke,  it  was  believed,  the 
general  sense  of  those  present,  expressed  its  opinion  in  this 
short  paragraph : 

"The  concert  given  by  Madame  Caradori  Allan  in  this  city  on  Tues- 
oay,  was  attended  by  an  audience  never  exceeded,  either  in  brilliance 
?i!"J'i-?"T^'^^'  °"  *?y  *"?•*  occasion  in  this  city.  To  those  who  know 
w  .,  fi  P»T®'  "^^  "'"^'•'^^  **^*'"*  °f  *Ws  accomplished  lady,  we  need 
not  say  that  her  performance  gave  the  highest  gratification  to  all  present." 

Madame  Caradori's  own  performance  gave,  undoubtedly 
the  highest  gratification  to  all  who  heard  it :  for  so  accom- 
plished a  singer  and  musician  as  she  is  could  scarcely  sing 
anything  that  would  not  give  delight  to  an  ear  having  the 
slightest  taste  fur  sweet  sounds ;  but  to  those  who,  like  our- 

20 


£30 


WASHINGTON. 


sdves,  had  often  heaM  this  charming  lady  at  the  opera  or 
in  the  concert-rooms  of  England,  sustained  by  powerful  or- 
chestras, worthy  of  her  own  distinguished  reputation,  it  was 
painful  to  witness  the  meagerness  of  the  musical  assistance 
received  by  her  here ;  the  only  instrument  being  a  piano- 
forte, and  the  only  singer  except  herseJf  being  Signor  Fabj, 
who  would  scarcely  have  ventured  to  appear  in  any  concert- 
room  in  Europe.     The  performances  of  the  evening  were 
therefore  all  solos  by  Madame  Caradori  and  Signor  Fabj  in 
alternate  succession.    Madame  Caradori's  songs  were  these : 
"Una  voce  poco  fa,"  "Angels  ever  bright  and  fair,"  "  Ouv- 
rez,  c'est  nous,"  "  Steh  nur  auf,"  "  lo  I'udia,"  and  "  I'm 
over  young  to  marry  yet."    Signor  Fabj,  who  could  not 
take  even  so  high  a  range  as  this,  contented  himself  with 
singing  " Viraviso,"   "Qui  riposai  beato,"  "Ah!   perche 
non  posso  odiarti,"  and  "  Amor  di  patria,"  from  Bellini, 
Bagioh,  and  Generali.     The  good-nature  of  the  audience 
was  certainly  evinced  in  this,  that  they  applauded  heartily  at 
the  end  of  every  piece ;  and,  to  prevent  all  envy  or  jealousy 
imjong  the  parties  applauded,  they  gave  an  equal  measure 
of  praise  to  each.     The  whole  performance  was  over  in 
about  an  hour  from  the  time  of  its  commencement.    What 
surprised  me  at  first,  I  own,  was  this,  that  Madame  Cara- 
don  Allan,  a  lady  known  and  honoured  by  all  the  courts  of 
Europe,  should  have  been  so  unjust  to  her  own  high  repu- 
tation  as  not  to  desire  to  leave  a  better  impression  behind 
her,  by  singing  some  of  the  many  excellent  and  beautiful 
pieces  with  w^ich  she  has  delighted  the  hearts  as  well  as 
ears  of  the  first  circles  in  Europe,  and  which  her  own  recol- 
lection would  have  readily  supplied ;  but  she  had  probably 
discovered  by  experience  that  the  standard  of  musical  taste 
m  this  portion  of  the  United  States  was  such  as  wouM  be 
best  pleased  with  the  productions  she  had  presented  to  them 
and  the  audience  appeared  to  be  so  satisfied  as  to  leave  no 
doubt  that  she  had  judged  correctly  in  this  respect;  what 
she  did  smg  was  executed  with  all  the  sweetness,  grace,  and 
expression  for  which  she  is  so  deservedly  and  universaUy  ad- 

nx^  remarkable  instance  of  « impressment,"  practised  on 
Mrs.  Wood,  the  popular  singer,  who  had  preceded  Madfime 
Caradon  AUan  m  her  visit  to  America,  was  mentioned  to 
me  here  by  one  who  was  present  at  the  party.  A  general 
Iivmg  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Philadelphia,  who  had  be- 
come  suddenly  rich,  furnished  a  house  in  a  costly  manner, 
and  gave  gay  parties.     He  had  Httli.  i»ls*>  K.,*  »,,<. 


ANECDOTE   Of  MRS.    WOOD. 


S31 


cXntuLr^^^^^^^^^^^^  Wife,  being  espe- 

became  rich,  and  both  w  t lleTafed  ?^^ 
portancc  without  the  remnsito!!  ,        ..^'"^  P''^^^"*  im- 

tain  it.     To  rerdefone  of   L^'''''"f-^  qualifications  to  sus- 
popular,  theyTnvherMr    and  C  wT?  ''^"  """"^ 
guests;  these  at  first  resDectfnllv 21  r  ^  °*^  ^''"5  their 
fatigue;  bat  they  werrrrS^w^^^^^^^ 
that  they  at  length  were  subdnpH.    '°  '""'*'  earnestness 
entertainments  of  thTevehin^  werl  tr''"*"     ^^^"  '^^ 
several  ladies  among  the  vTsLTrh  J  ^   ^  commenced,  and 
vited  Mrs.  Wood  to^searrrself  «t  fv,'""^'  '^^  ^"^'^'^  ^"• 
pany  would  be  delLK  tfl       I  *^^  P'^"°'  ««  ^^e  com- 
Mrs:  Wood  begged  tfth  I  vp'  ^"'  ''"^"^'^"^  ^^^^^^  ^ut 

fta.  ,h.y  would  hearyoTsl'm  '"Oh  "-'rnT'"/'.?"'' 
Wood,  with  great  readiie^,  ",1,at  quite  alto, ^S  '^"i 
was  not  at  all  aware  of  ttii.  «,  t   u    il  ""  "^ !  I 

but.  sinee  you  hraTvuldt;  p  ofca^Slyl  sha^t  7'"""  ' 
sing  immediately !"  "  That's  a  ^w^  7'  f,  "' """"e 
hostess ;  "  I  thought  vou  eonid  if  <^'<'!«"T»."  «  oined  the 
So  Mrs  Wood  seated  hersdf  a,  ^1,  '^""'  '"  "''^'"^  ™-" 
ly,  and,  to  the  eS  gratification  o''fr'/"'"«''f«'''''°'- 
gave,  without  hesitationfe^y^^ng  she  w^'ked  f  ^»"'i 
some  were  eneorpd      On  iuJt  ,,  '6.»"e  was  asked  for,  and 

the  host  and  hostess  w^re  rn„m    "^'"^  t^'  ^°^"^^''  ^hen 
mucUheyweVLoSbvJh  ''''  "''''"^'  »""'  "o"'-" 

Kte'rintfud  f  ''^»;  g'ttfaxrgtu:- 

,      "^v  "  meir  visit  is  a  short  one    "-"  -rr-,-']     •    -• 
nor  to  those  of  New  V/%rt  t»i,  i  y--^:'"^y  "^'^  grcuily  mie- 
oi  i\ew.York,  Philadelphia,  or  Baltimore  ;  and 


232 


WASHINGTON. 


the  boarding-houses  are  still  worse.     In  both  the  domestics 
are  all  negroes,  and  in  the  latter  mostly  slaves.     They  are 
generally  dirty  in  their  persons,  slovenly  in  their  apparel, 
and  unskilful  and  inattentive  in  their  duties.     In  the  board- 
ing-houses, the  members  of  Congress  and  other  inmates 
who  use  them  occupy  a  separate  bedroom,  which  they  use 
for  office,  bureau,  receiving-room,  and  all ;  and,  on  passing 
by  these  when  the  door  is  open,  one  sees  a  four-post  bed 
without  canopy  or  furniture,  the  upper  extremities  of  the 
posts  not  being  even  connected  Uy  any  framework,  and  tha 
bed  pushed  close  up  against  th&  wall  by  the  side,  to  leave 
the  larger  space  in  the  rest  of  the  room.     A  table  covered 
with  papers  occupies  the  middle  of  the  apartment,  often 
with  a  single  chair  only,  and  that  frequently  a  broken  one ; 
and  around  on  the  floor  are  strewed,  in  the  greatest  disorder 
and  confusion,  heaps  of  congressional  documents,  large  logs 
of  firewood  piled  up  in  pyramids,  the  wash-basin  and  ewer, 
printed  books,  and  a  Jitter  of  unfolded  and  unbrushed  clothes. 
The  drawing-room  of  the  hotel  or  boarding-house  is  used 
by  all  equally,  and  is  usually  in  better  condition  than  the 
private  apartments,  though  even  in  these  the  dust  of  the 
wood  fires  (universal  in  Washington),  the  multiplicity  of 
newspapers  and  other  things  scattered  about,  take  away  all 
appearance  of  cleanliness  or  elegance.     The  eating-room  is 
used  for  breakfast,  dinner,  tea,  and  supper  ;  and  a  long  ta- 
ble, spread  out  the  whole  length  of  the  room,  is  kept  always 
laid  throughout  the  entire  day  and  night.     The  process  is 
this :  the  table  is  first  laid  over-night  for  breakfast ;  when 
this  meal  is  over,  however,  the  table  is  merely  swept,  so  as 
to  remove  the  crumbs,  and  the  cloth,  not  being  taken  off 
even  to  be  shaken  or  folded  up,  is  suffered  to  continue  on 
for  dinner,  the  only  precaution  used  partaking  at  all  of 
cleanliness  being  that  of  laying  the  dinner-plates,  which  are 
put  on  the  moment  breakfast  is  over,  with  their  faces  down- 
ward, so  that  they  may  not  receive  the  dust. 

Dinner  is  brought  on  at  the  appointed  hour ;  but  so  unac- 
quainted with  comfort,  or  so  indifferent  to  it  are  the  parties 
furnishing  it,  that  no  warm  plates  are  provided ;  iron  forks 
alone  are  used ;  the  earthenware  and  glass  are  of  the  com- 
monest description,  and  often  broken ;  indeed,  articles  that 
■would  be  thrown  away  as  worn  out  in  England  continue  to 
be  used  here,  broken  as  they  are,  and  no  one  seems  to  think 
of  repairing  or  mending ;  while  the  provisions  are  of  the 
poorest  kind,  and  most  wretchedly  cooked  and  prepared. 
The  dishes  are  all  brought  to  table  without  covers,  and  are 


BOARDING   H0178E8. 

consequently  cold  before  the  parties  are  seated  •  and  with 
he  exception  of  now  and  then,  but  very  rarelv  k  cZli^  ? 
(rock-fish  and  perch)  from  the  RivlyVnZ^l'     ^^  ^'** 
partook  of  any  Vod  dish^f  L^arpo^C"  ^::etS 
dunng  all  our  stay  in  Washington,  IhSugh  nit  at  alf  fS 
OU8  in  our  taste  or  difficult  to  please  in  this  Jespec    dS" 
;?"Sr  always  the  plain  and  simple  in  foodrwTirlirink 
The  table-cloth  used  for  breakfast  and  dinnS  rTmains  ont; 
tea,  which  is  taken  at  the  same  lonir  tfthl«  f™ 
earthenware  teapots,  broken  and  smoCb^  W  sTaS 
before  the  fire;   and  after  supper  the  same  olofh  -nn  ^ 
mams  on  for  breakfast  the  nex^mor^  wWcht  M  ^^^^^^^ 
night  as  soon  as  the  supper  is  done.  ^'' 

th.!!X  '^"??  hurry  in  eating  ivas  observable  here  as  in  all 
the  other  cities  we  had  visited.     The  boarders  are  rZ  ou 
of  bed  by  a  large  and  noisy  hand.bell  at  half  pJt^fven 

totVinL^"  'r ''"^  "  '^^""-     Many  persJnTseeTd 
to  us  to  finish  m  five  minutes,  but  none  exceeded  a  quw-ter 

of  an  hour  ;  and,  the  instant  that  any  one  had  done  heTo!I 

reM"'^  '^'  ^"'^^''  ""^  ^«"*  i»*°  the  drawrngioom  t^ 
read  the  newspapers ;  so  that  it  sometimes  happen^d^hat 
at  a  quarter  past  eight  we  came  down  and  founfeverybodv 
gone,  leaving  us  in  exclusive  possession  of  the  breakfast^ 
table.  At  dinner  it  was  the  same ;  and  the  whole  sttt^nn^ 
manner  of  living  had  a  coldness' and  sSnessalur^ 
which  we  could  not  approve.  «B"isflnes8  abowt  « 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


^-Atm?tSF^^^  frcn.  Philadelph... 

these  People.-  PecuHar/nd  rpm.V.Ml  p  ~'^"'='''?'  of  Land-specuJaton.  towardi 

Among  the  individuals  whose  private  friendship  we  had 
^e  good  fortune  to  cultivate  and  enjoy  while  we  were  at 
Washington  none  delighted  us  more  by  their  intelKce 

«"i;L;t^^  :f,p-^-/  ^-^o-  ^-mthit  ove^rir::: 

Vol!.  I.-1g  o  ^"P^"^''^^  ^"^  exclusiveness,  which 


234 


WABHINGTOK. 


we  had  too  often  occasion  to  observe  in  others,  than  Judge 
White  and  his  lady.  These  were  fortunately  inmates  of  the 
same  house  with  us,  so  that  our  opportunities  of  communi- 
cation  were  frequent  and  acceptable.  They  were  both  from 
Tennessee,  of  which  the  judge  is  one  of  the  senators.  At 
the  last  contest  he  was  one  of  the  candidates  put  in  nomi< 
nation  for  the  presidency ;  for,  though  upward  of  seventy 
years  of  age,  the  universal  appreciation  of  the  justness  of  his 
character  was  such  as  to  overcome  this  objection,  and  he 
was  thus  very  extensively  supported  in  the  states  in  which 
he  was  best  known.  This  reputation  for  integrity  still  occa- 
sions him  to  be  the  senator  most  frequently  appealed  to 
against  acts  of  oppression  and  injustice,  whether  committed 
by  the  government  or  by  private  individuals.*  Several  in- 
stances of  this  became  known  to  me,  as  the  deputations  that 
waited  upon  him  were  often  received  in  the  drawing-room, 
so  that  we  had  an  opportunity  of  hearing  their  statements. 

One  of  these,  a  deputation  from  Philadelphia,  came  to 
seek  his  counsel  in  the  following  case.  They  said  that,  about 
fifty  years  ago,  some  members  of  their  body,  the  Society  of 
Friends,  living  at  Philadelphia,  considered  that,  as  they 
were  occupying  the  lands  that  once  belonged  to  the  Seneca 
tribe  of  Indians,  though  these  lands  were  ceded  by  voluntary 
treaty,  and  fairly  and  fully  paid  for,  yet  as  they,  the  Qua- 
kers, had  many  of  them  grown  rich  by  the  occupation  of 
the  territory,  through  the  improved  condition  of  it  by  them- 
selves, they  felt  it  to  be  their  duty  to  take  the  Seneca  nation 
under  their  especial  protection,  and  do  all  they  could  to  ad- 
vance them  in  comfort  and  civilization.  They  had  accord- 
ingly sent  agents  among  them,  prevailed  on  them  to  hold 
lands  in  severalty,  and  to  follow  the  arts  of  cultivation ;  and 
had  so  improved  the  adults,  and  so  trained  the  children  of 
the  tribe,  that  the  greater  portion  of  them  were  now  fixed  as 
permanent  occupiers  of  the  soil  in  the  Western  country,  and 
were  slowly,  though  steadily,  advancing  onward  in  the  same 
career. 

A  fraudulent  attempt  to  remove  these  Indians  still  farther 
West,  beyond  the  Mississippi,  had  recently  been  made  known 
to  them,  and  they  had  come  on  to  Washington  to  stop  its 
farther  progress  if  they  could.  Some  unprincipled  land- 
speculators,  white  men  and  Americans,  had  been  among 
them,  and  tried  all  their  arts  to  persuade  them  to  part  with 

♦  Thii  venerable  and  upright  man  is  since  deceased,  but  his  name  is  held  in  universal 
estimation  throughout  the  country  ;  and,  as  these  remarks  were  written  during  my  stay 
at  Washinirton,  I  sufiFer  them  to  remain  unaltered. 


iCDOE    WHITK.-QUAKKR   DBLEGATION.~MR.   FOX.         885 

their  lands  for  a  given  sum  of  purchase-money,  quite  insiir- 

but  neither  misrepresentations,  blandishments,  nor  thS 
could  prevail  on  the  Indians  to  assent.  Failinrthprpfn,! 
m  this,  these  speculators  drew  off,  one  by  one  a  few  of  Z 
most  Ignorant  of  the  tribe,  and.  b^  false  JepJeVntatrons  and 
false  promises,  got  a  very  few  to  come  with  them  hrjlnu 
deputation  from  the  IndiL  tribe,  bearing  at  e^S  IZZl 
heir  whole  territory  to  the  speculators  in  quesUon  fh  "h 
IZ7-^"  ^^""^  ^y  '^^  «^^^  ^"dians  for,  and  on  be'hdf  of 
the  tribe  who,  It  was  pretended,  had  deputed  them  The 
Quakers,  however  who  suspected  this  story  from  th"  begin! 

;LtdVd  uttyt  ttr  "■'"  '»'"<'  '^'  f'"»  "» 

of  Judge  White,  as  one  of  that  body,  to  give  due  exposure 

of  thesfwoX  Srr ""'  ?"'  *'"^' '^  b^evoLnSron 
oi  inese  worthy  Quakers— always  engaged  in  this  conntrv 

as  the  members  of  their  society  are  in  eveiv  otW  in  ,  k  ^i! 
they  exist,  in  doing  good-woSld  be  Vow7edtrh  surct' 
though,  for  want  of  similar  interventions  of  frienXTaS' 
the  poor  Indians  are  often  plundered  and  pilWed  by  un 
principled  and  cunning  speculators,  who  grow  rich  bv  the 
spoil,  and  pass  from  the  completioA  of  one  succLsfuf  at 
gression  to  the  commencement  of  another  and  a^JSter  one" 
till  death  or  exposure  puts  an  end  to  their  wicked  career    ' 
Among  the  remarkable  persons  to  be  seen  in  Washi^'on 
besides  the  president,  heads  of  departments, ^ndmemfers 
of  both  houses  of  Congress,  the  British  min  ster,  Mr   Fox 
deserves  mention.     This  gentleman,  a  near  relati've  of  Lord 
tS    f  K  "P™d.of  «i^ty  years  of  age  :  he  has  the  repu- 
tation  of  being  amiable  and  learned ;  but  he  is  so  rardv 
seen,  either  in  his  own  house  or  out  of  it,  that  it  fs  regarded 
as  qui  e  an  event  to  have  met  with  him      His  appearance 

account  lor  this.  Instead  of  rising  at  four  in  the  mornine 
like  the  ex-president,  John  Quincy  Adams,  he  go^s  to  the 
opposite  extreme  of  not  quitting  his  bed  ti  1  onf  or  two  in 

I'lVA'ir"'^;"?..^^  -f  «^  --gling  with  socie^y.^rh" 
„.  n.-m.  or  cx=uT^uurc,  as  if  it  were  naturaUy  distasteful  to 


«M 


Sd6 


WASHINGTON. 


him.  Book-auctions,  which  arc  frequent  here,  sometimes 
tempt  him,  but  scarcely  anything  else  can  draw  him  out. 
He  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  great  entomologist,  and  it 
is  said  that  his  greatest  happiness  consists  in  the  frequent 
receipt  of  cases  of  insects  from  the  various  parts  of  the  world 
in  which  he  has  either  travelled  or  resided,  or  where  he  has 
friends  or  correspondents.  His  life  is  therefore  probably  as 
happy  in  the  solitude  to  which  he  seems  voluntarily  to  have 
devoted  himself,  as  that  of  men  who  seek  their  pleasure 
from  other  sources ;  but  his  influence  upon  society  is  abso- 
lutely nothing.  This  furnishes  a  striking  contrast  to  his 
predecessor,  Sir  Charles  Vaughan,  who  is  regretted  by  most 
of  the  residents  here,  as  he  is  described  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  social,  affable,  familiar,  accessible,  and  agreeable 
ministers  ever  sent  to  Washington  from  the  Court  of  St. 
James,  and,  as  such,  his  good  qualities  drew  everybody 
constantly  around  him. 

Mrs.  Madison,  the  wido^v  of  the  ex-president  Madison,  is 
also  one  of  the  remarkable  personages  of  the  city.  Though 
past  eighty  years  of  age,  she  is  tall,  erect,  clear  of  sight, 
hearing,  and  intellect,  most  agreeable  in  manners,  well 
dressed,  and  still  really  good-looking.  She  has  resided  in 
Washington  almost  ever  since  it  was  first  begun  to  be  built ; 
and  by  her  extremely  atiable  temper  and  her  kind-hearted- 
ness has  wop  the  esteem  of  all  parties.  Every  stranger 
who  comes  to  Washington  is  sure  to  be  told  of  Mrs.  Madi- 
son, and  informed  that  it  is  his  duty  to  call  and  pay  her  his 
respects :  so  that  her  drawing-room  is  almost  an  open  lev6e 
from  twelve  to  two  on  every  fine  day,  and  between  the 
morning  and  afternoon  service  of  Sunday.  As  a  pt  rsonal 
compliment  to  herself,  and  as  a  mark  of  the  high  estima- 
tion in  which  she  w  is  held  by  the  Congress,  both  houses 
of  that  body  conferred  on  he?,  by  a  joint  resolution,  the  only 
privilege  within  their  power  to  bestow,  name! , ,  the  right  of 
franking,  or  sending  and  receiving  all  her  fetters  free  of 
postage ;  she  being  probably  the  only  individual,  and  espe- 
cially the  only  female,  upon  whom  such  a  privilege  was 
ever  personally  conferred  by  an  act  of  the  legislature  of  any 
country. 

During  our  stay  in  Washington,  two  Englishm*  n  of  some 
distinction  arrived  here,  but  their  stay  wast  very  short ;  one 
was  Lord  Clarence  Paget,  a  son  of  the  Marquis  of  Angle- 
sea,  who  came  to  Norfolk  in  the  Pearl  sloop-of-war  from 
Bermuda  with  despatches,  which  he  brought  on  from  thence ; 
aiid  the  other  was  L.   d  Gosford,  the  late  governor  of  Low. 


PROFLIGACY   OF   MANNEIH. 


837 


er  Canada,  who  had  come  hero  to  confer  with  the  American 
government  previous  to  his  going  to  England. 

Ihe    onger  we  remained  in  Washington,  the  more  we 
saw  and  heard  of  the   recklessness  and   profligacy  which 
charaetenze  the  manners  both  of  its  residbnt  and  fluctuating 
population.     In  addition  to  the  fact  of  all  the  parties  to  the 
late  duel  going  at  large,  and  being  unaccountable  to  any 
tribunal  of  law  for  their  conduct  in  that  transaction-of 
Itself  a  sufficient  prool  of  the  laxity  of  morals  and  the  weak- 
ness  of  magisterial  power— it  was  matter  of  notoriety,  that 
a  resident  of  the  city  who  kept  a  boarding-house,  and  who 
entertamed  a   strong  feeling  of  resentment  towards  Mr. 
Wise    one  of  the  members  for  Virginia,  went  constantly 
armed  with  loaded  pistols  and  a  long  bowie-knife,  watching 
his  opportunity  to  assassinate  him.     He  had  been  foiled  in 
the  attempt  on  two  or  three  occasions  by  finding  this  gen- 
tleman armed  also,  and  generally  accompanied  by  friends ; 
but  though  the  magistrates  of  the  city  were  warned  of  this 
intended  assassination,  they  were  either  afraid  to  apprehend 
the  individual,  or  from  some  other  motive  declined  or  neg- 
looted  to  do  so;  and  he  accordingly  walked  abroad  armid 
as  usual. 

fr^'\^'^^  himself  as  well  as  many  others  of  the  members 
from  the  South  and  West,  go  habitually  armed  into  the 
House  of  Representatives  and  Senate;  cone,  led  pistols 
and  dirk"  '  eing  ihe  usual  instruments  worn  by  them  beneath 
tneir  i.uuies.  On  his  recent  examination  before  a  com- 
raittc.  of  the  House,  he  was  asked  by  the  chairman  of  the 
committee  whether  he  hnd  arms  on  his  person  or  not-  and 
answering  that  he  always  carried  them,  he  was  requested 
to  give  them  up  while  the  committee  was  sitting,  which  he 
did;  but  on  their  rising  he  was  presented  with  his  arms, 
and  he  continued  constantly  to  xvear  them  as  before. 

This  practice  of  carrying  arms  on  the  person  is  no  doubt 
one  ot  the  reasons  why  so  many  'trocious  acts  are  done 
under  the  immediate  mfluence  of  passion;  which,  were  no 
arms  at  hand,  would  waste  itself  in  words,  or  blows  at  the 
utmost ;  but  now  too  often  resulis  in  death.  A  medical 
gentleman,  resident  in  the  city,  told  me  he  was  recently 
called  in  to  see  a  young  girl  who  had  been  shot  at  with  a 
pistol  by  one  of  her  paramours,  the  ball  grazing  her  cheek 
with  a  deep  wound,  and  disfiguring  her  for  life ;  and  yet  • 
no  hing  whatever  was  done  to  the  individual,  who  had  only 
tailed  by  accident  in  his  intention  to  destroy  her  life.  In 
-!.i„  ,..iy  „,e  niaiij  cDiubiisiu-nems  wncre  young  giris  are  col- 


li 


t.'  'A 


S88 


WASHINGTON. 


lected  by  procuresses,  and  one  of  these  was  said  to  be  kept 
by  a  young  man  who  had  persuaded  or  coerced  all  his  sis- 
ters into  prostitution,  and  lived  on  the  wages  of  their  infamy. 
These  houses  are  frequented  in  open  day,  and  hackney- 
coaches  may  be  sben  almost  constantly  before  their  doors. 
In  fact,  the  total  absence  of  all  restraint  upon  the  actions  of 
men  here,  either  legal  or  moral,  occasions  such  open  and 
unblushing  displays  of  recklessness  and  profligacy  as  would 
hardly  be  credited  if  mentioned  in  detail.  Unhappily,  too, 
the  influence  of  this  is  more  or  less  felt  in  the  deteriorated 
characters  of  almost  all  persons  who  come  often  to  Wash- 
ington, or  live  a  long  period  there.  Gentlemen  from  the 
Northern  and  Eastern  States,  who,  before  they  left  their 
homes,  were  accounted  moral,  and  even  pious  men,  undergo 
such  a  change  at  Washington  by  a  removal  of  all  restraint, 
that  they  very  often  come  back  quite  altered  characters ;  and, 
while  they  are  at  Washington,  contract  habits,  the  very  men- 
tion of  which  is  quite  revolting  to  chaste  and  unpolluted  ears. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  existence  of  slavery  in 
this  district  has  much  to  do  with  creating  such  a  state  of 
things  as  this ;  and  as  Washington  is  one  of  the  great  slave- 
marts  of  the  country,  where  buyers  and  sellers  of  their  fel- 
low-creatures come  to  traffic  in  human  flesh,  and  where 
men,  women,  and  children  are  put  up  to  auction  and  sold 
to  the  highest  bidder,  like  so  many  head  of  cattle,  this 
brings  together  such  a  collection  of  speculators,  slave-deal- 
ers, gamblers,  and  adventurers  as  to  taint  the  whole  social 
atmosphere  with  their  vices.  All  this  is  freely  acknowl- 
edged in  private  conversation ;  but,  when  people  talk  of  it, 
they  speak  in  whispers,  and  look  around  to  see  that  no  one 
is  listening ;  for  it  is  at  the  peril  of  life  that  such  things  are 
ventured  to  be  spoken  of  publicly  at  all. 

An  instance  of  this  occurred  not  long  since  in  one  of  the 
steamboats  navigating  the  Western  rivers.  A  gentleman 
who  had  been  to  the  South  was  describing  to  another,  in 
confidential  conversation,  his  impressions  as  to  the  state  of 
society  there,  and  happened  to  express  his  great  abhorrence 
of  gamblers,  when  a  fashionably  dressed  person  in  the  same 
boat,  who  had  overheard  this  conversation,  came  up  to  the 
individual  who  had  used  these  expressions,  and  said,  "  Sir, 
you  have  been  speaking  disparagingly  of  gamblers ;  I  am  a 
gambler  by  profession,  and  I  insist  upon  your  apologizing, 
and  retracting  all  you  have  said."  The  person  thus  address- 
ed replied  that,  as  the  conversation  was  confidential,  and  ad- 
dressed only  to  his  friend,  without  being  intended 


any 


TOLERANCE  OF  SLAVEay  BT  THE  CLERGY       839 

Other  ear,  he  could  not  have  meant  any  personal  offence  • 
but  as  what  he  had  said  was  perfectly  true"  he  could  ""1"^ 
apologize  nor  retract ;  whereupon  the  gambler  drew  the 
concealed  dagger  which  almost  every  one  in  the  South  car- 
ties  about  his  person,  and  stabbed  this  individual  to  the  heart. 
Mis  death  was  the  immediate  consequence,  and  yet  no  far- 
ther notice  was  taken  of  this  affair  by  the  captain  or  any 
other  of  the  passengers  except  to  land  the  murderer  at  the 
next  town,  where  he  passed  unmolested,  and  ready,  no 
doubt,  to  repeat  a  sunilar  atrocity. 

Even  the  clergy  maintain  a  profound  silence  on  the  sub- 
ject  ot  these  enormities,  and  never  mention  the  subject  of 
slavery  m  the  states  where  it  exists  except  to  apologize  for 
It  or  to  uphold  it,  and  to  deprecate  all  the  "schemes,"  as 
they  call  them,  of  the  abolitionists  for  hastening  the  period 
ot  Its  annihilation.     So  tolerant  are  the  clergy  of  the  South 
on  this  subject  that,  as  was  shown  in  the  resolutions  of  the 
Episcopal-Methodist  Conference  in  Georgia,  they  pubhcly 
declare  their  belief  «  that  slavery,  as  it  e^sts  in  the  United 
States,  IS  not  a  moral  evil,"  and  if  so,  of  course  they  are  not 
called  upon  to  remove  it.     As  a  specimen,  however,  of  one 
ot  the  many  modes  in  which  it  does  operate  as  a  moral  evU 
(notwithstanding  these  Episcopalian-Methodist  resolutions 
^^V^®  contrary),  this  single  fact  may  be  stated:  A  planter 
01  Virginia  had  among  his  slaves  a  coloured  female  of  hand- 
some  fagure  and  agreeable  person,  who  acted  as  a  household 
attendant;  having  been  present  at  some  religious  meetings 
.}  \  Methodists,  she  became  piously  disposed,  and  at  length 
attached  herself  to  their  Church  as  a  member ;  for  membirs 
are  admitted  from  the  coloured  population,  though  they  sit 
apart  m  the  gallery  at  public  worship,  and  have  a  separate 
table  when  they  receive  the  sacrament  in  communion !   How 
the  Divme  Institutor  of  this  solemn  and  endearing  observ- 
ance  would  regard  such  a  separation,  has  not,  perhaps, 
been  often  thought  of.     A  short  time  after  this  female  had 
joined  herself  to  the  Church  as  a  communicant,  the  son  of 
the  planter  returned  home  from  completing  his  studies  at 
college,  and,  as  is  usual  with  sons  of  that  age,  communica- 
ted to  his  father  the  necessity  of  his  having  a  mistress  !    The 
handsome  Christian  slave  was  accordingly  selected  for  this 
purpose,  and  made  a  present  to  the  son !     She  was  horror- 
strudc,  and  at  first  resisted ;  but,  as  there  was  no  law  that 
could  protect  her,  no  tribunal  that  could  help  her,  her  entire 
person  being  the  property  of  her  master,  to  do  with  her  what- 
soever  he  pleased,  and  to  strip  and  flog  her  into  compliance 

* 


MM 


8411 


WASniNGTON. 


if  she  refused,  there  was  no  alternative  but  concession  and- 
patient  resignation.  She  communicated  this  fact,  however, 
to  her  religious  teacher,  the  minister  of  the  Church  she  had 
joined,  expressed  the  deepest  repugnance  at  the  committal 
of  the  sin,  and  asked  him  what  was  her  duty.  He  replied 
that  her  duty,  as  a  slave,  was  clearly  passive  submission, 
and  that  resistance  or  refusal  coiild  not  be  countenanced  by 
him!  And  yet  the  Methodist-Episcopal  Conference  of 
Georgia,  met  in  solemn  conclave,  publicly  proclaim  their  be* 
lief  to  the  world,  in  a  resolution  formally  put  and  unani- 
mously adopted,  that  "  Slavery,  as  it  exists  in  the  United 
States,  is  not  a  moral  evil."  Such  is  the  perversion  of 
Christianity  by  some  of  its  professed  ministers  in  the  slave- 
holding  states  of  America  1 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

EnTiroiM  of  WuUngton,  Scenery  and  Views^— Georgetown  older  in  Date  than  Waah* 
ingUMi.-.-Climate  of  Waahington  eztiemelyTariable.— Captain  Smitb'a  and  Jefferson'* 
Account  of  the  Climate.— Last  Survey  of  Washington  in  an  Excursion  round  it.— 
Visit  to  the  Arsenal,  and  Description  of  iL— Visit  to  the  Navy-y^  of  Washingtonv— 
DeKription  of  ito  Resources  wau  Works.— Return  to  the  City  of  the  Capitol— Bat- 
tles of  the  Oiants  and  the  Pigmies.— Last  Sunday  passed  at  the  Service  in  the  Cap* 
itol.— Admirable  Sermon  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Fisk.— Ezcuiaion  to  Alexandria  across  the 
Potomac— Embryo  City  of  Jackson,  near  Washington.— Sale  oi  ijands  for  non-pa/> 
ment  of  Taxes. — Singular  names  of  new-settled  Estates.— History  and  Description 
of  Alextodria.— Museum  and  Relics  of  General  Washington.— Mount  Vemon,'  th« 
ftmihr  Seat  and  Tomb.— Disinterment  of  General  Washingtoii'a  Corpse.— Veneration 
for  Washington  and  Lafayette.— Native  Indians  seen  at  Washington.— Farewell  Vis* 
its  on  leaving  the  City. 

The  environs  of  Washington,  though  not  inviting  in  win- 
ter, must  be  agreeable  in  the  spring  and  autumn.  The 
broad  Potomac,  a  mile  and  a  half  across  where  it  receives 
the  tributary  Anacosta,  and  still  widening  below  their  con- 
fluence, is  a  very  noble  object  from  every  elevated  point  of 
view.  The  long  bridge  across  it,  exceeding  a  mile,  though 
at  the  higher  part  of  the  rivet,  has  a  very  picturesque  effect. 
The  hills  on  the  other  side  of  the  Potomac,  within  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia,  are  well  wooded,  and  those  in  Maryland, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Ana^'osta,  are  really  beautiful.  The 
small  town  of  Alexandria,  on  the  Virginian  side  of  the  Po- 
tomac, is  visible  from  Washinjton,  the  distance  being  six 
miles  only ;  and  Georgetown,  vhich  may  be  called  a  sub- 
urb of  "Washington,  though  a  se  )arate  city,  is  but  a  contin- 
uation of  the  latter,  there  being  an  almost  unbrcikeu  line  uf 


#' 


GEORGETOWN. GOOSE    CREEK. 


241 


houses  connecting  the  two.     Georgetown   is  older   than 
Washington,  having  its  name  from  the  King  of  England 
long  before  the  Revolution,  and  that  name  being  still  retain- 
ed.    It  18  compactly  built,  and  not  straggling,  like  the  young- 
er  city.     Its  population  is  estimated  at  about  10,000,  but  it 
IS  dimimshmg  in  opulence  and  consideration.     It  once  en- 
joyed a  direct  trade  with  the  West  Indies,  and  many  ships 
came  to  its  port,  as  well  as  to  Alexandria,  from  various 
parts.     iJut  both  these  places  have  suffered  by  a  diversion 
ot  their  trade  into  other  channels,  especially  since  railroads, 
opened  from  the  mterior  of  Maryland  and  Virginia  direct  to 
iialtimore,  have  made  that  place  the  great  emporium  of  com- 
merce for  this  part  of  the  South.     At  Georgetown  is  a  large 
Catholic  college,  under  the  direction  of  very  learned  and 
ski  Jul  Jesuits,  as  well  as  a  monastery  and  a  nunnery,  both 
well  filled ;  the  professors  of  the  Catholic  faith  abounding  in 
this  quarter,  from  Baltimore  having  been  originally  founded 
by  a  Catholic  nobleman,  and  the  religion  having  there  taken 
root,  and  spread  extensively  all  around. 

The  line  of  separation  between  Washington  and  George- 
town IS  a  stream  called  Rock  Creek,  into  which  a  smaller 
streana  caUed  Goose  Creek  enters.  Mr.  Thomas  Moore,  in 
one  of  his  epistles  from  Washington,  takes  a  poetic  license 
with  this  latter  stream  when  '  ^    .  -s, 

"  And  what  waa  Goose  Ci^ok  once  is  Tiber  now," 
because,  though  it  answered  his  purpose  to  turn  the  sharp 
and  pointed  satire  conveyed  in  this  line,  it  does  not  happen 
to  be  correct.     Goose  Creek  is  still  Goose  Creek,  as  it  ever 
has  been  :  Tiber  is  another  stream  altogether,  and  is  found 
under  that  name  in  the  old  maps  of  Maryland  before  Co- 
lumbia was  made  a  district,  or  the  City  of  Washington  was 
laid  out.     It  is  very  insignificant,  it  is  true  (though  even  the 
Tiber  of  Rome,  by-the-way,  is  an  insignificant  stream  when 
compared  with  the  Potomac  of  Washington).     It  rises  in  the 
hills  of  Maryland,  just  beyond  the  boundaries  of  Washing- 
ton, flows  nearly  through  the  centre  of  the  city  in  a  small 
nil,  which  runs  underneath  the  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  and 
comes  out  of  an  arched  conduit  a  little  to  the  west  of  the 
Capitol,  where  it  joins  a  branch  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Canal,  and  empties  itself  with  it  into  the  Eastern  River. 

The  climate  of  Washington  is  complained  of  by  all  par- 
ties. In  the  winter  the  cold  is  as  severe  as  it  is  at  Boston 
though  the  winter  is  of  shorter  duration  ;  and  in  the  sum- 
mer the  heat  is  as  great  as  it  is  in  the  West  Indifis  -.  wh.l« 
m  the  sprmg  and  autumn  the  sudden  oscillations  from  one 
Vol.  I. — ^H  h  gl 


fHH 


WASHINGTON. 


extreme  to  the  other  are  most  trying  to  the  constitution. 
There  is  a  piercing  quality  in  the  cold  winds  sweeping 
across  the  rivers  and  marshes  which  is  most  disagreeable  to 
encounter,  and  from  which  we  suffered  severely  ;  for,  when 
we  arrived  from  Baltimore,  on  the  26th  of  February,  the 
ground  was  covered  with  snow,  and  the  pavements  of 
brick,  or  the  side-causeways,  were,  on  the  shady  side  of  the 
stieets,  literally  sheeted  with  smooth  ice.  Yet  before  we 
left,  on  the  26th  of  March,  we  had  had  such  heavy  rains  as  to 
make  the  streets  impassable  puddles ;  such  excessive  heat  as 
to  make  cloth  clothing  disagreeable ;  and  such  clouds  of 
white  dust  in  the  badly  macadamized  roads  of  the  avenue  as 
to  blind  and  choke  one  at  the  same  time ;  while,  to  make 
the  variety  complete,  we  had  on  some  days  fogs  as  dense  as 
in  England. 

Captain  Smith,  in  his  account  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay, 
which  was  drawn  up  and  presented  to  Queen  Anne,  says, 
"  In  this  country  the  summer  is  as  hot  as  in  Spain,  and  the 
winter  as  cold  as  in  France  or  England ;"  and  he  adds,  "In 
the  year  1607  was  an  extraordinary  frost  in  most  parts  of 
Europe ;  and  this  frost  was  found  as  extreme  in  Virginia. 
But  the  next  year,  for  eight  or  ten  days  of  ill  weather, 
other  fourteen  days  would  be  as  summer."  And  Mr.  JefFer- 
son,  in  his  "Notes  on  Virginia,"  says,  "  The  extremes  of  heat 
and  cold,  of  6'  below  zero  and  98"  above,  are  distressing." 
He  adds,  that  "  in  the  year  1780  the  Chesapeake  Bay  was 
solid  from  its  head  to  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac.  At  An- 
napolis, where  it  is  five  miles  and  a  quarter  over  between 
the  nearest  points  of  land,  the  ice  was  from  five  to  seven 
inches  thick  quite  across,  so  that  loaded  wagons  went  over 
it."  Severe  colds,  rheumatism,  intermittent  fevers,  and 
agues  are  the  natural  consequences  of  such  extremes  as 
these. 

Our  last  survey  of  Washington  was  made  in  a  carriage- 
drive  around  its  whole  extent  during  a  delightful  day,  the 
22d  of  March,  in  which  we  traversed  nearly  every  part  of 
it,  and  closed  our  excursion  with  a  visit  to  the  Arsenal  and  the 
Navy-yard.  The  aspect  of  the  city  is  certainly  unlike  that 
of  any  other  in  the  world.  In  some  places  new  houses  are 
building,  as  if  it  were  a  place  just  rising  into  being,  while  in 
others  there  are  whole  terraces  and  groups  of  houses  com- 
pletely in  ruins,  as  if  it  were  a  place  that  had  been  long 
abandoned  to  decay.  One  group  of  these  was  so  conspic- 
uous, that  the  facetious  friend  in  whose  carriage  we  made  .he 

eXGUmion  had  Inner  ainoA  caUe''  i*  "  TKo  T?"i"-  --^  "o — lu —  .>} 


APPEARANCE   OF   WASHINGTON  CITT. 


243 


and  at  a  distance,  the  range  of  buildings  in  this  group  was 
sufficiently  dilapidated  to  look  ruinously  picturesque.  The 
cause  of  this  singular  contrast  of  a  rising  and  a  falling  city 
existing  on  the  same  spot  and  at  the  same  time,  is  this :  the 
lots  or  parcels  of  ground  for  bulding  on  having  been  most 
injudiciously  sold  by  the  government  to  different  specula- 
tors  at  different  times,  without  any  condition  of  building  up 
first  the  grounds  near  the  Capitol  before  the  remoter  parts 
were  built  upon,  each  speculator  has  made  an  attempt  to 
draw  the  population  towards  the  particular  quarter  in  which 
his  lots  were  situated.  Some  thus  built  up  fine  terraces  near 
the  river,  and  these  were  let  cheap,  to  draw  inhabitants ;  but 
a  counteraction  was  soon  produced  by  some  rival  specula< 
tor,  who  built  another  group  in  some  other  quarter  of  the 
space  laid  out  for  the  city.  Each  of  these  have  been  there- 
fore successively  inhabited  and  abandoned ;  and  many  are 
now  not  merely  without  tenants,  even  of  the  poorest  kind, 
but  falling  to  pieces  for  want  of  repair,  the  owners  not  think- 
ing them  worth  that  expense,  as  they  have  no  hope  of  re- 
ceiving any  rent  for  them.  Add  to  this,  that  between  these 
distant  groups  the  way  is  often  over  marshy  and  always  over 
miserably  barren  and  broken  ground,  and  some  idea  may  be 
formed  of  the  sort  of  living  wilderness  which  many  parts  of 
Washington  exhibit,  though  from  many  points  of  view  it 
looks  less  scattered  than,  in  traversing  it,  one  finds  it  to  be. 
Ever  since  the  days  of  Moore,  who  described  Washing- 
ton as 

"  The  famed  metropolis,  where  fancy  sees 
Squares  in  morasses,  obelisks  in  trees," 

this  strange  intermixture  of  city  and  wilderness  has  been 
the  most  characteristic  feature  of  the  place ;  and,  for  many 
years  to  come,  it  will  still  continue  to  be  "  the  city  of  mag- 
nificent distances,"  as  it  is  facetiously  called  by  its  inhabi- 
tants. If  Washington  should  ever  be  made  either  a  com- 
mercial or  manufacturing  city,  its  outlines  would  soon  be 
filled  up ;  but  of  this  there  is  no  immediate  prospect,  though 
in  half  a  century  hence  it  may  become  the  seat  of  both,  and 
the  banks  of  the  Potomac  be  as  thickly  peopled  as  those  of 
the  Clyde  or  Mersey. 

The  Arsenal  of  Washington  is  an  interesting  spot.  Pla- 
ced at  the  confluence  of  the  two  rivers,  Potomac  and  Ana- 
costa,  it  has  an  open  and  extensive  view  both  up  the  two 
separate  rivers  and  down  their  united  stream.  The  interi- 
or, which  is  like  a  garrison,  is  remarkably  neat  and  commo- 
dious, and  ail  the  workshops  and  storehouses  are  in  the  best 


244 


WASHINGTON. 


condition.  Through  the  polite  attention  of  the  superintend- 
ent, Captain  Ramsay,  who  accompanied  us,  we  had  an  op- 
portunity of  inspecting  everything  at  leisure,  and  saw  enough 
to  satisfy  us  that  the  Americans  are  not  behind  any  nation 
in  Europe  in  their  ready  adoption  of  all  improvements  that 
are  introduced  in  the  founding  of  large  pieces  of  ordnance, 
the  making  of  small  arms,  or  the  manufacture  of  the  other 
munitions  of  war.  The  artisans  employed  are  among  the 
most  skilful  that  can  be  procured ;  many  of  them  are  paid 
as  high  as  five  dollars,  or  about  a  guinea  a  day,  these  being 
occupied  in  constructing  models;  and  their  workmanship 
surpassed,  in  skill  and  beauty,  any  that  I  remember  to  have 
seen  in  this  line. 

It  may  show  the  extent  of  patronage  bestowed  by  the 
government  of  the  United  States  on  inventions  which  they 
deem  valuable  for  warlike  operations,  to  mention  the  fact 
that  a  Captain  Bell,  of  their  service,  was  recently  paid  20,000 
dollars  out  of  the  public  funds  for  a  very  simple  and  almost 
obvious  improvement,  by  substituting  a  vertical  worm  or 
screw  to  elevate  and  depress  heavy  pieces  of  artillery  with 
greater  ease  and  precision  than  could  be  effected  by  the 
wooden  quoins  formerly  used  for  that  purpose,  the  effect  of 
which  improvement  is  to  enable  the  person  firing  the  can- 
non to  take  his  deadly  aim  with  greater  precision. 

How  liberally  the  arts  of  destruction  are  rewarded  com- 
pared with  the  arts  of  preservation,  one  need  not  visit  Amer- 
ica to  learn.  All  Europe  furnishes  many  striking  examples 
of  the  same  kind ;  but,  while  such  is  the  perverted  taste  and 
judgment  of  mankind  that  the  warrior,  whose  life  is  devo- 
ted to  the  slaughter  of  his  fellow-men,  shall  be  crowned 
with  honours  and  rewards,  while  the  schoolmaster,  who  in- 
structs them,  shall  pine  in  neglect  and  obscurity,  who  can 
wonder  that  it  is  deemed  less  honourable  to  save  than  to 
destroy  ? 

The  Navy.yard  is  a  much  larger  establishment  than  the 
Arsenal.  It  is  higher  up  on  the  Eastern  Branch  or  Ana- 
costa  River,  and  is  under  the  superintendence  of  Commo- 
dore Patterson.  No  ships  were  building  in  it  at  the  time  of 
our  visit ;  but  the  large  shed  or  ship-house  under  which  the 
Columbus  74  was  built  was  still  standing,  and  perfect  in  its 
u  ^r  '^^^  ™°^*  interesting  processes  we  saw  here  were 
the  forging  of  the  large  anchors  for  line-of-battle  ships,  the 
welding  the  links  of  the  great  chain-cable  for  the  first-rate 
ship  of  war  the  Pennsylvania,  of  130  guns,  and  the  manu- 
facture  of  the  cooking-houses  or  cabooses,  and  iron  tanks 


WAR   OF  THE   GIANTS   AND   THE   PIGMIES.  245 

for  water,  as  well  as  the  machinery  for  making  blocks  Al. 
though  the  dockyards  of  England  are  more  Ltent;  than 
his  at  Washington,  and  employ  a  greater  number  of  men 
(the  number  employed  here  being  about  200  at  presem) 
yet  the  works  executed  here  in  every  department  appeared 
to  me  as  perfect  as  at  Portsmouth,  or  any  other  of  oSf  greal 

SCl  ,r  •  A  ?J^"^  °^  '^^  u^'^^^"»  ^°'^«^«"'  i«d««d,  were 
Jb-nglish ,  and  the  person  who  conducted  us  through  the  dif. 
ferent  departments  was  a  native  of  Devonport,  and  had 
served  his  apprenticeship  there ;  but  he  said  the  wages 
paid  to  able  workmen  here  were  so  much  higher  than  the 
same  class  could  obtam  in  England,  that  he  considered 
himself  to  be  twice  as  well  off  here  as  if  he  had  remained 
at  home,  and  was  very  happy  at  having  made  the  change. 

On  our  return  by  the  Capitol,  we  heard  that  the  Senate 
was  still  m  debate  upon  the  never-ending  topic  of  the  Sub, 
treasury  Bill ;  but,  conceiving  that  all  that  could  be  said  on 
either  side  had  been  already  exhausted-for  the  measure 
had  been  under  debate  in  the  Senate  for  a  greater  number 
of  days  than  there  are  members  of  that  body,  and  these  are 

1  /".T?""^^  ^'^.  "1°*  ?*°P'  *^°"g^'  according  to  the  Nation, 
al  Intelligencer  of  the  following  morning,  March  23,  the  con. 
test  was  severe,  for  it  is  thus  characteristicaUy  described  • 

fillZr  f^i*"*  °r™"  GuNTs.-The  debate  among  the  great  men  of  the 
Senate  still  continues,  and  continues  to  be  distinguished  bv  nasaaffM  of 
arms  of  unexcelled  skill  and  ability.    YesterdafC  cZSranf  Mr 
Webster  encountered,  and  held  a  large  audienJe  rapt  hi  admiring  au 
tention  to  the  conflict  for  several  hours."  ^        aamiring  at. 

We  had  learned  to  estimate  at  its  proper  value,  however 
this  exaggerated  style  of  description,  and  bore  our  disap. 
pomtment  meekly,  as  well  as  the  loss  of  a  scene  which  con. 
trasts  well  with  the  former,  apd  which,  by  way  of  appen. 
dage,  might  be  called  "  the  Battle  of  the  pigmies."  This 
scene  took  place  on  the  ^me  day  in  the  House  of  Repre. 
sentatives,  and  is  thus  <:fescribed  by  the  same  paper : 

Jl  ^if"  ^°^\  commented  with  very  greaf  severity  on  Mr.  Halsted's 
speech  of  yesterday,  and  avowed  his  intention  «to  skin'  that  gentleman 
He  said  h!s  speech  evinced  the  advantage  of  being  high-born  and  col- 
lege-bred ;  characterized  its  strain  of  language  as  low  and  vulear  and 
every  way  unworthy  of  a  representative  ;  referred  to  Mr.  Halsted's 
consumption  of  pens  and  paper  as  being  ten  times  greater  than  his  own  • 
he  remarked  upon  his  dress,  as  being  that  of  a  dandy,  &c. ;  and  conclul 
ded  by  comparing  the  whole  speech  to  butter  churned  without  a  cover 
which  splashed  on  all  around,"  &c,  ' 

We  passed  our  last  Sunday  in  Washington  in  attending 
Divme  service  in  the  House  of  Representatives  at  the  Capi- 
tol.     It  had  been  announced  that  the  Rev.  Dr.  Fisk,  presj. 


846 


WASHINOTON. 


dent  of  the  Wesleyan  University  in  Connecticut,  was  to 
preach  there  to-day,  and  the  weather  being  beautifully  fine, 
the  preacher  eminent,  and  the  place  very  popular,  a  crowd- 
ed audience  was  assembled,  and  the  scene  was  impressive 
and  imposing.     It  was  curious  to  see  nearly  all  the  repre- 
sentatives' seats  occupied  by  ladies,  while  members  of  both 
houses  crowded  around  in  the  passages  and  avenues,  and 
the  galleries  were  filled  with  strangers.     The  preacher  oc- 
cupied the  chair  of  the  speaker  or  president  of  the  assem- 
bly, and  the  service  consisted  of  the  usual  succession  of 
the  hymn,  the  extempore  prayer,  the  lessons,  and  the  ser- 
mon.    This  last  was  a  very  able  and  beautiful  discourse  on 
the  words  of  the  Psalmist,  "  The   Lord  reigneth  ;  let  the 
earth  rejoice  ;  let  t  •  e  multitude  of  the  isles  be  glad  there- 
of," in  which  the  reign  of  the  Almighty  over  the  material 
and  the  moral  world  was  impressively  explained,  and  a  deep 
attention  was  bestowed  on  every  part  of  it  by  the  audience. 
On  returning  from  the  Capitol,  we  lingered  for  a  long 
while  on  the  terrace  that  sweeps  its  western  front,  from 
whence  the  view  over  Washington  below  it  to  the  west- 
ward, as  well  as  over  the  broad  Potomac  and  the  distant 
hills,  is  one  of  the  most  pleasing  that  the  city  affords.     The 
day  was  as  bright  and  sunny  as  our  finest  days  of  June  in 
England;  and,  though  all  vegetation  was  still  clothed  in 
the  brown  and  leafless  garb  of  winter,  it  was  full-blown 
summer  all  around  and  overhead. 

Our  last  excursion  from  Washington  was  to  pay  a  visit  to 
Alexandria,  to  which  place  we  accompanied  a  young  Vir- 
ginian, who  was  retuming  to  her  home  there  after  a  visit  to 
our  amiable  and  excelltnt  friend,  the  lady  of  Judge  White, 
in  whose  carriage  we  performed  the  journey.  The  position 
of  Alexandria  being  oil  the  Virginia  side  of  the  Potomac,  as 
Washington  is  on  the  Maryland  side  (though  both  are  now 
in  the  District  of  Columbia),  we  had  to  cross  the  long  bridge 
oyer  the  Potomac,  which  exceeds  a  mile  from  bank  to  bank 
with  a  small  drawbridge  over  the  navigable  channel  for  the 
passage  of  vessels  up  and  down  the  stream.  The  views 
from  this  bridge  are  very  charming;  and,  as  we  were  fortu- 
nate enough  to  arrive  at  the  drawbridge  when  it  was  open, 
we  had  to  alight  and  enjoy  the  sight  of  a  beautiful  schooner 
cutting  her  way,  with  a  fine  breeze,  against  the  descending 
stream,  and  steering  under  fuD  sail  right  through. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  to  Washington,  at  the 
point  where  the  bridge  terminates,  we  were  shown  the  found- 
ations of  a  new  town,  intended  to  have  been  built  as  a  rival 


PROJECTBD   CITY. 


947 


to  Washington    and  to  be  called  Jackson,  after  the  late 

President  of  the  United  States.     The  history  of  this  linle 

spot  IS  worth  giving,  because  it  is  a  specimen  of  simiarac^ 

of  folly  committed  in  many  other  parVs  of  the  United  States 

within  the  last  ten  years,  and  within  the  last  five  espedalv 

originating  partly  in  the  vanity  and  partly  in  the  cupidity  o^/ 

the  people,  and  resulting  in  their  bankruptcy  and  r  Jin     An 

Idea  was  conceived  by  some  real  admirer  or  svcophanTic 

flatterer  of  GeneralJackson  (it  is  not  certa  LThTch    for 

there  were  many  of  both),  that  it  would  be  well  to  set  up  I 

r  "'V  the  south  of  the  Potomac,  to  eclipse  Wahbg! 

chief.     This  Idea  was  at  once  acted  on  by  the  immediate 
survey  of  the  spot  where  the  bridge  touches  the  sh^rTanT 

onlaperti^^r^'  ^  ""'''  ™  '°°"  -apped Ind^rne'd 
on  paper,  with  squares,  avenues,  markets,  an  exchange 

pS^'g"'  'V?^  r^^  accompaniments' of"a  large  eml 

trtrundenT^  "^'"k"?  ""^^  ^PP^^^^  ^°  ^°^  hi«  patronage 
to  the  undertaking,  which  was  readily  granted ;  and  thus 

provided,  the  individual  who  got  up  L^whole 'sent  on  to 
New.York,  where  the  rage  for  speculating  in  lands  and  citv 
lots  was  at  its  highest,  and  forthwith  a  number  of  those  gen^ 
tlemen  came  here  to  purchase.  ^ 

When  they  had  bought  their  lots  at  high  prices,  they  re- 

Tstm  wf  '"  ^7n''^  *°  «^"  *^«™  *«  °*h"  speculator; 
at  still  higher;  and  General  Jackson  having,  at  the  request 
of  the  founder,  attended  \he  ceremony  of  lading  the  found 
ation  of  the  Exchange  of  Jackson  City,  b^Se  a  singt 
dwelling  of  any  kind  was  erected,  and  delivered  a  long  o?a! 
tion  on  the  occasion,  the  lots  rose  in  value,  because  thlcty 
had  been  actually  begun;  and  buyer  after  buyer  continued 
to  give  a  higher  and  a  higher  price.     At  lenk,  however 

gant  that  no  farther  advances  couid  be  had  upon  it,  and  the 
last  buyer  consequently  found  himself  stuck  fast,  and  could 
only  get  out  of  his  difficulty  at  an  immense  sacrifice.  Ifter 
this  a  retrograde  movement  took  place,  when  prices  went 
down  even  more  rapidly  than  they  had  risen;  a^ni  thelots 

t":  IZT'VT''''^^  r ^^"^'  «^"^^  -  «»«  would  b  1? 
the  expense  of  clearmg  them.     In  fact,  the  whole  space  is 

covered  with  a  marsh,  over  which  it  has  been  difficult  to 
construct  an  ordinary  road ;  and  the  auctioneer  who  sod 
!^t'irV^'%*^"*  were  brought  to  the  hammer  very  accu- 
111.-  .uaiu  proaa.,va  si^xty  uusheis  of  frogs  to  the  acre ;"  to 


1?- 


S48 


WASHINGTON. 


which  he  facetiously  added  that  "  there  was  no  need  of  in- 
curring  expense  for  fencing,  as  there  were  alligators  enough 
on  the  spot  to  form  an  excellent  fence,  if  you  could  catch 
them,  by  planting  them  with  their  heads  downward  and 
their  tails  in  the  air."  The  croaking  of  these  frogs  was 
loud  and  discordant,  as  we  went  over  the  road  that  crosses 
this  marsh  early  in  the  afternoon ;  and  when  we  returned, 
after  sunset  in  the  evening,  it  was  absolutely  deafening. 

The  remainder  of  the  way  to  Alexandria  was  over  a  tol- 
erably level  road,  with  well-filled  cedav  plantations  on  either 
side,  the  greenness  of  which  was  an  agreeable  relief  to  the 
brownness  of  everything  else.  These  public  roads  are  kept 
in  repair  by  a  general  assessment  on  the  landed  property  of 
the  district ;  but  this,  though  considered  a  good  road  for 
America,  would  be  called  a  very  bad  one  in  any  part  of 
England,  from  being  so  full  of  ruts  and  pits,  and  its  surface 
so  uneven.  There  was  only  one  turnpike  in  the  way,  at 
which  half  a  dollar  was  paid  for  the  carriage ;  hut  this,  Ave 
learned,  was  over  the  private  property  of  an  individual,  to 
whom  alone  the  receipts  went,  and  no  part  of  it  was  ex- 
pended in  the  repair  of  the  road. 

A  great  portion  of  the  land  in  the  District  of  Columbia  is 
so  poor  as  to  be  not  worth  paying  the  taxes  on ;  and  it  is 
therefore  often  sold  for  the  unpaid  Jues  upon  it,  though 
these  are  very  trifling  indeed.  In  the  National  Intelligen- 
cer of  March  27  are  no  less  than  tJiree  columns  of  specified 
estates  and  plots  of  ground  advertised  for  sale  by  the  com- 
missioners of  taxes  in  Columbia  and  Maryland  for  nonpay- 
ment of  these  dues,  though  the*  amount  seems  insignificant 
compared  with  the  size  of  the  estates  on  which  they  are  due. 
For  instance,  on  an  estate  in  St.  Mary's  county,  called 
"Scotland,"  consisting  of  3273  acres,  the  sum  due  was  only 
six  dollars  and  43  cents :  and  on  an  estate  in  Alleghany 
county,  called  "  Western  Connexion,"  consisting  of  8808 
acres,  the  sum  due  was  19  dollars  and  70  cents ;  and  this 
last  belonged  to  the  U/iited  States'  Bank.  On  looking  over 
the  names  of  these  trac  s  and  appropriations  of  lands  adver- 
tised for  sale,  it  was-  impossible  not  to  be  struck  with  the 
singularity  of  them,  of  which  the  following  are  only  a  few 
examples : 

•'  Hard  Struggle,"  1554  acres ;  "  Isaac's  Blessing,"  48 
acres ;  "  Rights  of  Man,"  189  acres ;  "  Paradise  Regained," 
1500  acres;  "Now  or  Never,"  600  acres;  "Myself,"  61 
acres  ;  "  Commonwealth,"  3817  acres ;  «  Canaan,"  3648 
acres;  "  Hornet's  Nest,"  208  acres;  "  Honest  Miller,"  50 


AMXANORIA. 


tit 


S-  m»  ^"«^'"»  '•^''"'veyed,"  329  acres;  "Last 
pf'^^'  »l®o  ^°'^''  ''Hope,"  6638  acres;  "  \Vhat  you 
PlcMe,"  73  acres;  and  "  Blue-eyed  Mary,"  987  acres 

When  all  these  tracts  become  settled  and  occupied.'as  in 
ime  they  are  sure  to  be,  their  names  will  mingle  oddly  with 

Thebes ;  of  Athens,  Cormth,  Sparta,  and  Utica ;  of  Rome 
and  Syracuse  ;  of  Jerusalem,  Joppa,  and  Lebanon ;  and  the 

^f!^\  Tu'  u  Tf ^^  1!''^  scriptural  cities  whose  names  are 
adopted  by  humble  villages  in  America. 

Alexandria  itself  is  a  small,  but  well-planned  and  neatly- 

nnlnt  TJ'  T'''  \u^  ^  favourable  position  on  a  projectirfg 
point  of  land  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Potomac,  at  I 
distance  of  about  six  miles  below  Washington.     It  was  ori- 
ginally  a  village,  first  u.habited  by  a  native  of  Scotland,  and 
called    by    him    Belhaven.      Its   name    was   Hubsequentlv 
changed  to  Alexandria,  which  it  still  retains.     At  one  oe. 
nod  of  Its  history  it  enjoyed  a  considerable  commerce,  as  a 
point  of  shipment  for  tobacco,  the  chief  product  of  Virginia 
in  which  state  it  was  situated  previous  to  its  being  included  in 
the  cession  of  the  district  ten  miles  square  to  form  the  pres- 
ent  Columbia,  as  well  as  a  point  of  import  for  goods  lor  in- 
ernal  consumption  in  the  country  behind  it,  to  which  it  is  an 
inlet.     The  beginnmg  of  its  decay  may  be  traced  to  the  at- 
tack  made  upon  it  i,y  the  marauding  squadron  of  the  Brit- 
w'  r^?  ®''nJ°''"  Cockburn,  in  their  expedition  up  to 
Washington.     Not  content  with  burning  .on^e  parts  of  the 
town  and  sacking  others,  they  wantonly  destroyed  a  laree 
quantity  of  goods  of  various  kinds  then  in  Alexandria,  be- 
longing  to  the  exporters  and  importers  in  the  interior  and 
without  benefitmg  themselves  by  such  destruction  in  any 
way.     The  owners  of  the  goods  so  destroyed  demanded 
payment  of  their  value  by  the  Alexandrians,  as  they  were 
uninsured,  and  held  at  the  risk  of  the  persons  in  whose  custo- 
dy  they  were.    Their  demands  could  not  be  complied  with  for 
want  of  means,  as  the  Alexandrians  themselves  had  been  im- 
poverished  by  the  general  plunder  of  the  British.     The  own- 
ers  therefore  refused  to  export  or  import  any  more  through 
Alexandria  tiU  their  old  accounts  were  settled  ;  and  this  be 
ing  impossible    the  trade  of  the  place  was  crippled  at  a 
blow.     Soon  after  this,  the  finishing  stroke  was  put  to  its  de- 
cline  by  the  construction  of  the  railroad  from  the  interior  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia  to  Baltimore,  by  which  imports  and 
exports  could  be  more  advantageously  made  through  that 


8A0 


ALEXANDRIA. 


port;  80  that,  unless  some  new  causes  arise  to  produce  new 
•ources  of  prosperity.  Alexandria  seems  doomed  to  decay. 
Iho  plan  of  the  luwn  is  extremely  regular,  and  its  whole 
aspect  pleasing ;  but,  amid  all  its  beauty  of  situation  and 
regularity  of  design,  it  wears  an  aspect  of  melancholy  and 
gloom.     Grass  is  growing  in  most  of  the  streets,  and  even 
the  great  thoroughfares  seem    altogether   deserted.     Tl'o 
number  of  houses   to  let  are  as  great  as  those  occupied, 
and  Its  population  of  ten  thousand  has  dwindled  down  to 
less  than  half  that  amount.     Closed  windows  and  shutters, 
and  broken  panes  of  glass,  give  an  aspect  of  dilajudation 
quite  unlike  the  generally  thriving  appearance  of  towns  in 
America ;  and  there  was  one  sight  which  reminded  me  of 
the  Liberties  of  Dublin.     A  large  and  handsome  mansion, 
built  as  a  family  residence  by  an  English  gentleman  named 
l-arlisle,  is  now  occupied  by  a  number  of  poor  families,  two 
or  three  livmg  on  each  of  the  separate  floors;  and  the  whole 
building,  exterior  and  interior,  is  going  gradually  to  ruin  for 
tne  want  of  occasional  repairs. 

Among  the  public  buildings  in  Alexandria  there  is  a  court- 
house, a  large  theatre,  and  a  theological  college,  besides 
SIX  good  churches.     There  is  also  a  museum,  which  is  en- 
nched  by  some  highly-prized  relics  belonging  to  that  univer- 
sal object  of  homage  and  veneration  in  every  part  of  Amer- 
ica, General  Washington.     Among  these  are  the  satin  robe, 
scarlet  lined  with  white,  in  which  the  infant  George  Wash- 
mgton  was  baptized ;  a  penknife,  which  was  given  to  him 
by  his  mother  when  he  was  only  twelve  years  of  age,  and 
v;hich  he  kept  for  fifty-six  years  of  his  life,  amid  all  its  vi- 
cissitudes  and  dangers ;  a  pearl  button,  taken  from  the  coat 
Which  he  wore  when  first  inaugurated  as  President  of  the 
United  States  at  New- York;  a  masonic  apron  and  gloves, 
worn  by  him  at  a  lodge-meeting ;  a  black  glove,  part  of  the 
suit  ol  mourning  which  he  wore  at  the  death  of  his  mother- 
a  fragment  of  the  last  stick  of  sealing-wax  that  he  ever 
used  to  seal  his  letters ;  and  the  original  of  the  last  letter 
ever  penned  by  his  hand,  written  to  decline,  on  his  own  be- 
nail  and  that  of  his  wife,  a  joint  invitation  which  they  had 
received  to  attend  a  ball  at  Alexandria,  in  which,  while  po- 
litely  apologizing  for  this  refusal,  he  says,  '«  Alas !  our  dan- 
cing  days  are  over."  >  j  >  uwi 

In  the  museum  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington  we  had  pre- 
viously seen  a  military  suit  of  the  general's,  which  he  had 
worn  m  the  revolutionary  campaign;  and  all  these  are 
looked  upon  by  every  American,  of  whatever  age,  sex,  or 


MOUNT  VBRNON.— WASHINOTON. 

condition,  with  a  personal  regard  and  veneratiou  such  tu  na 
quarter  of  the  world.     People  not  only  adm/re    but  thlv 

eJ:™m'L'lV''  Tr  °'  ™«^-'  and  hold  Uerld't^ 
eryth  ng  that  ever  belonged  to  him;  consr  luentlv  there  i« 
-carely  a  smgle  d.  dling  in  all  America,  KoCver  solendid 
or  however  humble,  and  few  public  buildingTof  any  kind 

tTau'of 'w'r  P^"-^  °^  '^"8^°"^  ^ -^'P'^^  which^a  ;ir: 
ir  ?f,^^^'""g^""  ^«  n«t  to  be  found.     All  parties  cla»m 
hin.  for  their  own  ;  and  the  expression  of  any  doubt  o     to 
the  .nsdom,  courage,  virtue,  or  excellence  of  Wash  ng     , 
would  be  a  treason  that  few  would  be  disposed  to  fcJL 
ilv  and"  h   ''"°"' J^^  country-seat  of  the  Washington  fam- 
ily,  and  th.     ,     that  contams  the  ashes  of  the  general  him- 
self, ,8  r       ,n.«.   than   ten  miles  from  Alexandria;    but 
hough  V,  .  .ad  s.     ral  times  planned  an  excursion ';  vb U 

o  Zent  ;  'T;  '^  °^''"^^^  ^^'''  ^-^h«'  intervened 
Senate  or  i  ..«!  TT  "  "^"^  '°"^"  ^'  ''  «P««^h  in  the 
whli  1,     .  of  Representatives,  the  expectation   of 

which  kept  us  in  either  house,  and  prevented  our  leaving 
tne  l.apitol ;  and  sometimes  it  was  the  detention  there   not 

e'ed      SoTet!:!""'.'"'  ^'^  ^'^^"^y'  °^  ^^^  speeches  d'elt 
Z^flA  ^""""T    ^.^  '^  ;^'as  a  party  in  Washington  tl  ut  pre- 

rill    Ti    ^'^"'"8  '^^  "^^y-     ^"d  when   these  or  ofher 
causes  did  not  prevent,  the  terrible  state  of  the  weather 
and  the  impassable  condition  of  the  roads  beyo.  J  Ah  xan-' 
^entlJnr         '""''  °'  '"*"'  ^  effectually  defeated  our  In- 
We  regretted  this,  because,  though  there  is  nothinir  of  un- 

wh"jnh  T  T  ""'  ^^T^  '"  ^^^  *^°"««  ''  grounds,  both  of 
which  have  been  neglected  by  the  presenf  o.  ,p i'ers,  who 
are  distant  relatives  of  the  illustrious  chief,  yet  .t  ^ouW  h^ve 
given  us  great  pleasure  to  have  looked  upon  the  tomb  that 
contains  his  earthly  remains,  and  thus  have  paid  to  his 
memory  that  homage  which  all  admirers  of  freedom  and 
IT  w  "^"^*  ^^"g^^  .t<?  «how  to  the  last  resting-placeTf  Ine 
who  was  so  distinguished  a  friend  of  both. 

Not  long  since,  in  December  last,  the  body  of  the  ffen- 
eral  wets  taken  from  the  coffin  in  whi^h  it  was  originaHyT 
C  '!,^l"""'  ^''"""'  ""^  P^^««^  in  «  "^^wl  sarcoph. 
&e  of  £  daT  "  ''"  '""'''  "  '''  PluladelpL 

Fath?r?nd Sa^onr  n?r''~'^'  '""*'"'  °^  ^^'^  illustrious  man,  the 
..  . —  — ,,.r.v.a  ui  -.111=  My,  ;.-onx  wnoiii  we  ieam  thai, 


252 


WASHINGTON. 


preservation.  The  SttbiSlw^^^^^^^  *"  a  wonderful  state  of 
and  the  lips,  pressed  8U^lltoMth«r  huP ""  ''^''"  ^"?  ^"^""^  expression ; 
as  they  doubtS  wore  w£  thrfil^t  nr  ^^f  e  and  solemn  smile,  snch 
for  an^immortal  eJstencT  ^         "*  ^^''^  "P  '"«  ™°"^'  "f« 

W"  yi«W«d  to  the  elements  again.' 

3ta'[itt7stXi?e;tt\sL^^^^^^^^^^^  rr-«-d  ^^«  -- 

he  was  unable  to  conceal  his  emSn^^  He  nWH  L^«»^enement,  and 
ample  forehead,  once  high  "at  in  th« TU-^r^K  »,*^  •"'  ^'^^^  "Po»  ^^^ 
the  cares  of  an'infant  empfre  and  he^JmJL^^"'^'."'' J'*"''''''"?  ^'^^ 
voice  of  fame  could  Lt  provoke  that  ZTct^fJr?^'  "'^*'  *''**  **•*» 
Its  tones  of  revival  into  the  S  cold  ear  of  dearth  '^X'1'  "'^"J 
patriotic  sepulture  were  thus  consummated  and  the  SfJ  »>?''l'  ""^ 
can  scareelv  dissociate  frnm  on  a^!!.!,      •  '         ■       "&"fe,  which  we 

mansion,  to  be  seen  nS  mor^  uStiKort^f'^i.  T"f  "'^  >°  '*^  '°^'  d*™ 
the  bright  garments  of  eEsTncor™u;S^^^^      P"'  °°  immortality  and 

Next  to  General  Washington,   Lafayette  ranks  higher 

Americans.     About  Jefferson  and  Madison    Moni-no  o».j 
AdajB,    Aere  are  still  differences  of  030^° "nd  X 

suSes     an^^"";-'  "t"  T"»W„g.o„,  seems  to  „ai  e  aS 

.hat  of  hi,  hard./^'or?i£iL°s      4""  on rZs"l"f 
partner  m  glory.    Besides  the  fulHeneth  nicSrr  of  f . 
fayette,  which  is  suspended  on  the  walls  of  the  M  of  R™" 
resentauyes  opposite  to  that  of  General  wihtol^,he?e' 
13  a  beautiful  marble  bust  of  Mm  in  ths  lihr.™  „f  r>    ' 

■wtSt'e'ttTlT'   •"-  T  *-'!^?'  ^-fl  ^uraTe 
inscribed  the  two  following  short  extracts.     The  first  is  from 

Sail  of  R  °^  ^''  '^'''^'  ^«"^^^«d  ^t  Washington    in  th^ 
Hall  of  Representatives,  on  the  10th  of  Decembe^   1894 

when  he  said,  "  What  better  pledge  can  be  ei^n  of  «  n!!' 

IS  the  closing  sentence  of  his  aniwer  to  the  president '«,?«?. 

von      anAM       S     ,*'^«''  y°"'  '^'*'  ^"d  all  who  surround 

men  a^d  the  fVJI'  f  r'"''"  P'°P^«'  ^«^^  ^^  ^^eir  stages- 
men,  and  the  Federal  Government.  Accept  the  oatriotip 
farewell  of  an  overflowing  heart  ««n«h  ^-n  i!  P?^^^?"^' 
throb  when  it  ceases  to  beal"  ^"'^  ^^^  ^^  '''  ^^' 


CHEROKEE    VERSION   OF  THE   PRAYER-BOOK.  tOt 

ii/\™^  inquiries  respecting  the  Indians  during  our  stay  at 
Washington,  I  learned  many.new  particulars,  and  from  ex- 
tremely favourable  sources.     The  venerable  Judge  White 
who  was   an  inmate  of  the  boarding-house  in  which  we 
lived,  was  chairman  of  the  committee  of  the  Senate  on  In- 
dian  affairs,  and  we  therefore  saw  many  Indians  and  In- 
dian  agents,  who  came  to  see  him  on  business.     I  became 
acquainted  also  with  other  Indians  then  at  Washington, 
tlurough  other  sources,  and  particularly  with  some  of  the 
Cherokees,  one  of  whose  tribe  invented  an  alphabet,  printed 
books,  and  gave  to  the  whole  b .  dy  an  impulse  of  advance- 
ment  of  considerable  force.    I  had  leisure  also  to  read  Cap- 
tarn  Carver's  remarkable  Travels  among  the  Indians  in  the 
Wisconsm  Territory,  with  occasional  comments  and  expla- 
nations by  the  experienced  judge,  who  was  so  competent  to 
the  task.    The  result  of  all  f  s  was  to  convince  me  that  the 
task  of  civihzmg  and  instructing  the  Indians,  if  it  be  prac 
ticable  at  all,  must  be  directed  chiefly  to  the  younger  por* 
tion  of  the  tribes,  as  the  whole  career  of  an  Indian,  from 
his  cradle  to  manhood,  is  calculated  to  fix  his  habits  and  prej- 
udices deeper  and  deeper  with  every  succeeding  year,  so  as 
to  make  the  civilization  of  the  adults  almost  hopeless. 

We  had  a  missionary  and  his  wife  staying  with  us,  from 
Wew-England,  on  their  way  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where 
some  tribes  exist  who  have  had  no  intercourse  whatever 
with  white  men  :  and  even  these  acknowledged  the  extrema 
difficulty  of  bringing  them  into  any  state  of  civilizatioT. 
Some  of  them,  however,  become  nominal  Christians,  apd 
evince  all  outward  respect  to  Christianity.    But  any  pr/>g- 
ress  beyond  that  seems  very  doubtful.     From  one  of  tiese, 
our  venerable  friend.  Judge  White,  received  an  India*  ver- 
sion of  the  Prayer-book  used  by  the  Protestant  Ep^eopal 
Church  of  America,  printed  in  English  characters*  but  in 
Indian  words,  and  having  on  the  leaf  preceding4he  title 
«ie  foUowing  inscription :  "  To  the  Hon.  JudgeWhite,  of 
Tennessee,  a  distinguished  chief,  now  sitting  by  the  great 
council-fire  of  the  American  nation  in  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington :  from  Daniel  Bread,  Chief  of  the  Oneidas,  who  has 
the  honour  of  sitting  by  the  small  council-fire  of  his  nation 
J*  5"tch  Cretk,  in  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  Feb.  28, 

It  has  been  remarked  of  the  Indians  that,  though  they 
have  all  the  ferocity  which  is  characteristic  of  savage  life, 
their  feelings  of  generosity  and  gratitude  towards  those  whom 
they  esteem  and  respect  are  much  more  powerful  than  among 


fi 


«M 


WASHINOTOM. 


Civilized  people;  and  therefore  it  is  that  all  who  have  lived 
peafto  e'nTt^- 'T'  ^"^  J"""  ^^^'^  ^^'  inUmatdy^^I^ 

SsXinl   %"'*';  ^T""*^^^  ^P^"^°»  o^  their  cha?: 
acters,  which,  according  to  the  testimony  of  all  oarties   » 

never  improved,  but  continually  deteriora^ted  bAheTr  nt'eJ! 

course  with  the  more  civilized  race,  because  theTrwelv 

tha^y'd^iiklnr:'  "^"^^'^-^  ^P^^^^^y  -'l^-  '^-  v^^e'i^ 

E^ttoth'et^  ^  ^^^^  ^"  ^^-^^'  ^-^^  prolificToiir^f- 
^  Our  last  day  at  Washington  was  passed  in  pavinff  and  re- 
c3':!rH'"  ""'''  '"^  *'^  friends^whose  kiEf  we  had 

we^St  mit""^  °"'  ''"y  *^"'"'  ™"»y  °f  ^hom  we  hoped 
we  might  meet  again  in  some  other  portion  of  the  Union 

TnioWnTwhrw  T""  ''''  ^''''^^''^-  might  admh  of  o"; 
enjoying,  what  Washington  will  rarely  admit,  a  quiet  and 

.hetu"  .1^  °"  ""'""»»  '"  •""«'  "'fo'"  "e  should  3 

i  J?r9  '^-  -=  -»""  it  3: 

«OTm»^h  T  *•  '"""  *«"??«"««=«  of  the  snovrMd  the 
we  r...i    1  »  ,  •       ''  °™'  "  distance  of  thiny.eiiht  miles 
„,,!"""'  aocommodation  in  the  Eutaw  House  WnVtlTI. 

me.  witnL°°""T'!^  ""■'  «<"»"«'<«ourzr^''Si™: 

met  Witt  Bnce  out  landing  in  the  country.  ' 


BALTIMORK. 


255 


CHAPTER  XX. 

verjr  in  the  Coiony.-Origin  and  Cause  of  the  F™t  in/i.n  ^»"''«nce  of  Negro  Sla- 
Uon  to  the  Dignity  of  a  City  in  1796.-Effect8  of  the  RevSa  on  it,  Pr<Srr.f^  ^^ 

Our  Stay  at  Baltimore,  which  extended  to  a  month,  was 
unusually  favourable  in  every  point  of  view.     The  families 
with  whom  we  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  acquainted  were 
as  hospitable  and  generous  as  they  were  intelligenc  and 
agreeable,  and  carriages  were  daily  placed  at  our  disposal 
tor  any  excursions  we  designed  to  make.     The  weathex- was 
beautiful  throughout  the  whole  period,  and  scarcely  a  day 
l^assed  without  our  being  taken,  by  one  friend  or  another,  to 
some  point  of  view  in  the  city  '     >8  environs,  from  which 
the  most  extensive  and  advantage   ..a  prospect  of  tiie  sur- 
rounding scene  could  be  enjoyed.     We  visited  in  succession 
ail  Its  public  institutions,  attended  its  principal  churches 
were  entertained  both  by  social  and  by  brilliant  parties,  and 
had  every  source  of  information  and  pleasure  thrown  open 
to  us  without  reserve.     I  gladly  availed  myself,  therefore,  of 
these  valuable  advantages  to  acquire  as  full  and  accurate  an 
account  of  Baltimore  as  was  practicable,  and  to  add  to  that 
which  was  necessarily  gleaned  from  other  sources  the  ob- 
servations which  our  stay  here  enabled  me  to  make  for  ray- 
self,  the  result  of  which  will  be  found  imbodied  in  the  fol- 
lowing sketch. 

In  describing  Baltimore  it  is  necessary  to  go  a  little  far- 
ther  back  than  the  history  of  the  city  itself,  for  the  purpose  ^ 
of  showing  how  the  influence  of  the  first  founders  of  society 
here  continues  to  operate  on  the  taste  and  habits  of  their 
descendants,  and  to  make  Baltimore  essentially  different 
from  any  of  the  cities  of  the  Union  which  we  had  yet  visited. 

It  was  as  early  as  the  year  1620  that  the  first  Lord  Bahi- 
more  (then  Sir  Charles  Calvert)  obtained  from  James  the 
First,  to  whom  he  was  at  that  period  secretary  of  state,  a 
grant  of  land  in  America ;  but  this  being  far  north,  in  New- 
foundland,  the  colony  he  founded  there  did  not  nrosner. 
His  visit  to  Virginia,  eight  years  afterward,  inspired  him 


888 


BALTIMORB. 


h^^Jlv    a'^^^  of  setthng  there,  if  possible,  instead  ;  but, 
being  obliged  to  quit  that  country  by  the  persecution  of  the 

IT   T:^.'"r''  J«^«^.^»d  f^^red  him  because  he  was  a 
Koman  Cathohc,  he  subsequently  formed  the  design  of  ob- 

at  the  head  of  the  Chesapeake,  for  the  purpose  of  founding 
a  colony  of  refuge  for  the  persecuted  of  his  own  sect  in  Eu! 
Jhr;.vt  '"^^!^**«1»"  obtaining  the  grant  he  desired  from 
the  next  sovereign,  Charles  the  First,  but  did  not  live  to 
carry  his  plans  into  execution.  His  son,  however,  Cecilius, 
the  second  Lord  Baltimore,  took  up  his  father's  project,  and 
had  the  chartered  grant  confirmed  to  him,  with  the  reLt  of 
the  estates  and  title  of  his  parent. 

It  was  in  1632  that  this  charter  began  first  to  be  acted 
on.    A  younger  brother  of  Lord  Baltimore,  Leonard  Cal- 
vert,  was  appointed  governor  of  the  province ;  and  from  the 
great  number  of  Roman  Catholics  then  suffering  in  England 
from  the  seventy  of  the  laws  against  them  ther?,  the  mlteri- 
«18  of  the  new  colony  were  easily  obtained.     But  what  was 
extremely  favourable  to  the  future  character  of  the  settle- 
ment  and  its  inhabitants  was  this:  that  the  most  intelligent 
as  weU  as  the  most  moderate  of  the  Catholic  body  in  Brit- 
am  were  among  the  first  to  embark  for  this  new  la^d  of  lib. 
SU!     '  'f      ^^7  "^T  <l«termined,  on  their  first  entry 
into  the  sanctuary  themselves,  to  make  it  a  place  of  refugj 
also  iot  all  others,  they  established  their  colony  on  the  lib- 
eral  prmciples  of  perfect  freedom  of  conscience,  and  tolera- 
ted  the  open  profession  and  undisturbed  practice  of  all  forms 
of  worship  and  tenets  of  doctrine,  at  the  very  period  wC 

lad  fled  w'^'*  r^  New-England,  who,  like^hems^lves" 
had  fled  from  the  religious  persecutions  of  the  mother-coun* 
5;«T%^''n"^u'°  "»^«^thily  as  to  proscribe  and  persecute 
SlTcs  ei^ci"  ^'"''  *^""  ^'^^  """'  ^"^  ^-™«"  C-th! 
The  number  of  persons  who  embarked  in  the  first  exn^di. 
tion  with  Leonard  Calvert  did  not  exceed  200 ;  but  these 
were  almost  aU  gentlemen  of  rank  and  fortune,  accompanied 
by  about  an  equal  number  of  adherents  and  attendants"  all 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  They  took  possession  of 
the  temtory  by  landmg  near  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac  ?n 

soil  "for  our  Saviour  and  our  sovereign  lord  the  King  of 
Eng  and."  But  that  justice  should  h%  done  to  the  abort 
gmal  possessors  of  the  region,  a  negotiation  was  opened  with 
the  Indian  chief  who  was  then  sovereign  of  these  wilds :  and 


8ETTLBMBNT  OF  BALTIMORB.  257 

^!!!:Z'''^ aTT^^^ IV^^  *^"^  ^^^^"8  ^««»  amicably  ad- 
justed  and  fairly  paid,  the  generosity  of  the  settlers  so  won 
the  hearts  of  their  new  friends,  that  the  chief  expressed  his 
contadence  m  them  in  the  following  striking  lan^age  :  "  I 

iZ  t'  ^■?^^^''Kr^^^''  "«°  ^«"'  '^"^^  if  they  shLd  go 
about  to  kill  me,  if  I  had  so  much  breath  as  to  speak,  I  would 

command  my  people  not  to  revenge  my  death ;  for  I  know 
that  they  wou  d  not  do  such  a  thing  except  it  were  through 
my  own  fault."  or  gu 

The  town  which  they  first  occupied  stood  on  the  north 
point  ot  the  Potomac,  at  its  entry  into  the  Chesapeake,  about 
half  way  up  that  bay  on  the  left ;  they  called  it  St.  Mary's, 
and  the  whole  district  was  caUed  Maryland ;  and  so  rapidly 
did  they  mcrease  in  prosperity  in  their  new  abode,  that  in 
the  short  period  of  two  years  after  their  first  landing  they 
exported  10,000  bushels  of  Indian  corn  to  New-Engknd.  in 
exchange  for  the  articles  which  they  required  from  thence. 
Ihe  intelhgence  of  their  safety  and  success  soon  spread  to 
±.ngland ;  and  many,  who  were  not  bold  enough  to  risk  the 
first  adventure,  «oon  flocked  around  them  when  all  danger 
was  past.     Lord  Baltimore,  too,  aided  the  transport  of  aU 
Who  desired  to  go  by  munificent  grants  from  his  own  purse, 
so  much  so  that  in  two  years  he  had  expended  £40,000 : 
and,  in  addition  to  this,  he  gave  to  every  settler  who  came 
°"n  *jfu^^®"*  of  fifty  acres  of  land,  in  absolute  right  of  fee, 
still  adhering  to  the  original  principle  of  tolerating  all  reli- 
gious opinions,  and  not  assuming  surremacy  for  any  mode 
of  faith  or  worship. 

In  1639  the  first  representati^^  assembly  was  formed  in 
Maryland,  and  the  persons  eVcted  by  the  votes  of  others  to, 
sit  as  members  of  this  asse«*t>ly  were  called  burgesses.    But 
one  of  the  most  strikint"*ing«iarities  of  the  law  prescribing 
this  election  of  repre'*"^tatives  was  this,  that  it  enacted  that 
if  any  freemen  reff  med  from  giving  their  votes  to  any  rep- 
resentative at  t*<5  time  of  election,  they  should  have  liberty 
to  sit  in  thp  assembly  in  person  themselves ;  the  principle 
being  prr«>ably  this  :  that  if  a  man  did  not  vote  for  any  one 
of  thef  ersons  put  before  him  as  a  candidate,  it  was  because 
he  iad  no  confidence  in  him  as  his  representative ;  and  there- 
Jbre,  not  having  delegated  his  rights  to  any  one  to  repiv^vnt 
them  lor  him,  he  should  go  and  represent  them  for  hini..eif. 
It  18  remarkable,  however,  that,  notwithstanding  the  ex- 
toeme  liberality  which  characterized  the  conduct  of  Lord 
Baltimore  and  the  early  settlers  on  religious  matters,  they 
were  not  superior  to  thftir  nAialihnniH.  \n  tu^i ...-_.  rJ- 

VOL.  I. — K  K 


^;. 


•ALTIMORB. 

oivil  liberty,  as  negroes  were  held  in  slavery  by  them  from 
the  begmmng;  and  in  an  act  of  the  Maryland  Assembly  as 
early  as  163^9,  the  "people"  are  deeJ.i.xi  to  consist  of  «aU 
Christiffii  inhabitants,  slaves  only  .it.oted."  Ihii  Is  the 
morervjmarkable,  inasmuch  as  tha  Cuinolicscf  thcsf  lavs 
had  shown  more  abhorrence  in  gei.oml  than  Protesfaits  to 
ue  state  o{  slavery ;  fb/,  wb.le  Sir  John  Kawkms  wa.  oler- 
u-  u  ?  'i®  Protestant  Queen  Elizabeth  in  the  slave-tmde 

Tnnrff  T  ^VT^'^'f'*,''"-*^'"  ^°^«^  of  Africa,  the  Roman 
IT  *u^l,^'  ^^i  'J^''i"ed,  when  a  controversy  on  this 
subject  h8d,;oen  subn.iired  to  him  for  hk  decision,  that  "not 
only  the  Christian  religion,  hut  Kjture  herself,  cried  out 
against  slavery "  »         «  wui 

.Jl^^  ^»g^ after  this,  in  1641,  the  great  accumulation  of 
setUers  led  to  encroachments  on  the  rigi  :>iof  the  aboriginal 
.?nd>ans  by  persons  less  scrupulous  than  their  predecesSjrs ; 

1*!  J%  'IkT"*'^,''^  ^'^^""^  'P'"*«'  '^^'''^  tl^ey  first  intro' 
<S.it  .d  to  the  knowledge  and  use  of  these  unhappy  people. 
ih^J  sc  defrauded  them  as  to  excite  universal  indignation 
among  the  tribes,  and  provoke  an  Indian  w^r.     ThisTsted 

np^t>Z,  /f  ?'  T^  ^°''^'  ^°  ^*»'^^*  »i^es  and  advantages  to 
neither,  and  when  peace  was  happily  restored,  a  law  was 
enacted  by  the  Maryland  Assembly  which  made'  it  iUelTS 
obtain  grants  of  lands  from  Indians  mthout  the  consent  of 
tiie  Legislature^hich  constituted  it  felony  to  sell  or  kidnap 
ZUlZ^  ^'''^'^"^  ^"'^  ™^^«  ''  «  high  misdemeanour  to 
Slv  ttT  w  tlf'^T'^  i  "™«  «"^  ammunition,  or  to  sup! 

authority  in  the  Western  world,  wer^bodipi  in  u         "! 
concerning  religion,"  passed  hv  the  ]&S  T      "uf* 
composed  almost  wholfy  of  Roln  Catholji'^^mtr   fn' 
this  act,  the  preamble  asserted  the  dangerous  cJl 
of  attempting  to  enforce  the  consciencef  and  the  bS"''!? 
leavmg  It  free ;  and  the  enactments  imposed  penaltiel!;f  H?f 
ferent  degrees  on  all  who  should  molest  individuals  on  i 
count  of  their  religious  worship,  or  who  should  apply  opniSl 
bnous  names  or  epithets  to  persons  or;  account  of  their  faith 
What  IS  the  more  remarkable  is,  ti ..    .hile  the  Catholics  of 
Maryland  acted  with  so  much  lih.r-aiuy  to  their  Protestan 
biciaren,  these  last,  who  hau  f-.,.if  of  them  come  to  seek 
retag.  from  Protestant  per«.  .;.  /  in  the  North,\eUimed 


DEATH   or  LORD   BALTIMORE. 


809 


this  liberality  with  the  basest  ingratitude,  and  sought  bv  ev- 

a^rTei^T"'  '"^^  ''  ^'^"^  ''^y  ^^  ^-  -  ^o^^ 

In  1661,  at  the  period  of  the  Restoration,  the  colony  of 

Maryland  contained  about  12,000  inhabitants,  and  inTeee 

these  had  increased  to  16,000.     The  number  of  vessels  tra- 

thaf  loT  t"^k'"'^  *°  f'  P'^V?*^"  ^««  ««^™-t«d  at  more 
1h  «nS  Vf  °T''  °^.  V^'y  ^'"^  ^«'«  «o  amply  employ, 
ed  and  so  hberelly  paid  that  want  was  unknown;   and 

Tr^^  r''°"!.  r^°  .^^^  ?'""  unfortunate  in  business  at 

t^r!'  T"*^"*  ^?^  ^°'  ^  ^f  ^  y^^^«  *«  ^«t««^«  their  misfor- 
tunes,  and  were  ahnost  uniformly  successful. 

T  n,"!  T? ^f'  *^^  T7^^\^  ?""^^'  °^  t'^is  colony,  Cecilius 
L±  kT;;''  ^'''^  ^""  °^  ^Se  and  honours;  and  the  very 
maxim  which  he  is  represented  as  constantly  expressing  and 
enforcing,  and  c«  wh  ch  his  policy  was  foundedfgives  him  a 
high  claim  to  distmction  as  a  man  of  a  sound  head  and  gen! 
erous  heart.     It  was  a  favourite  saying  with  him,  "that  by 

r^Hon  K^^T^V°^ry  ^^^^  S^°^  ^^'^  «  g^^^*  and  renowned 
h!l  ,1  f  f  ^?  dissension  mighty  and  glorious  kingdoms 
t^fil!  tl  .  ?^?"^^l"""  V^'°  nothing;"  and  all  histofy  tes- 
W  VaUT'  f  ?^/°l°»y  «»ff"ed  no  reverse,  however, 
trom  the  death  of  its  first  patron,  as  the  son,  by  whom  he 
was  succeeded  in  his  titles  and  estates,  Charles,  the  third 
Lord  Baltimore,  inherited  all  his  father's  enlarged  views  and 
generous  principles.  A  very  happy  allusion  is  made  by  one 
ot  our  English  poets  (Burroughs)  to  the  virtues  of  Calvert 
and  Penn,  the  i  vo  most  just  and  liberal  of  all  the  founders 
of  colonies  in  modern  times,  when  he  thus  adverts  especially 
to  their  legal  provisions  for  religious  toleration : 

"  ^7  u  *°""^  'o  harmonize  contrarious  creeda. 
And  heal  the  wounda  through  which  a  nation  bleeds : 
Laws  mild,  impartial,  tolerant,  and  fixed.  ' 

A  bond  of  union  for  a  people  mixed ; 
Such  as  good  Calvert  framed  for  Baftimore, 
And  Penn,  the  Numa  of  the  Atlantic  shore." 

After  various  vicissitudes,  the  intolerant  spirit  of  the  Prot- 
estant at  home  so  gained  the  ascendancy,  that  in  1692,  un- 
der  William  and  Mary  the  proprietary  government  of  Lord 
Baltimore  was  taken  from  him,  for  no  other  reason  than 

wUh^h7^  ^^^^'^^  ^^^^°1^°'  after  it  had  been  exercised 
with  the  greatest  justice  and  mildness  for  a  period  of  fifty- 

hvMwtnH  V^^^  't  ^^"'^^  «f  England  was  decS 
by  law  to  be  the  established  church  of  the  State  of  Mary- 
land.     Catholics  were  prohibited,  under  the  severest  penal- 
ties,  from  all  acts  of  public  worshio.  and  evpr,  fr^^,  Lltl; 
emg  the  profession  of  teachers  in  education.  "  ""     ^^    "" 


960 


BALTIMORE. 


In  spite  of  all  this  reaction,  the  colony  went  on  advancine 
in  prosperity  and  population.  In  1690  the  province  con- 
tamed  30,000  persons,  and  exported  as  much  of  its  princi- 
pal  produce,  tobacco,  as  the  much  older  and  far  more  ex- 
tensive  province  of  Virginia.  In  1669  the  town  of  Annap. 
ohs,  higher  up  the  Chesapeake,  was  substituted  for  St. 
Mary  s  as  the  capital,  and  this  still  continues  to  be  the  seat 
ol  legislation  for  the  State,  its  central  position  giving  it  the 
preference  over  all  other  places  for  this  purpose; 

It  was  not  until  1711  that  the  town  of  Baltimore  began 
to  be  laid  out  and  built  upon,  the  first  sale  of  land  for  that 
purpose  bemg  made  at  that  period,  consisting  of  31  acres, 
and  subsequently  augmented  by  other  sales  of  adjoining 
tracts,  amounting  to  550  acres.    In  1729  an  act  of  Assem- 
bly  was  passed,  authorizing  the  erection  of  a  town  on  the 
north  side  of  the  River  Patapsco.     The  ground  selected  for 
It  was  sold  by  the  proprietors  at  the  rate  of  forty  shillings 
an  acre  for  the  absolute  fee,  and  the  commissioners  author- 
ized  to  conduct  the  purchase  bargained  to  pay  this  amount 
in  tobacco,  at  the  rate  of  a  penny  per  pound ;  for  at  this  pe- 
riod,  and  long  before^  tobacco  may  be  said  to  have  formed 
the  common  currency  of  Maryland:  purchases  were  made 
by  It,  and  salaries  were  paid  in  it;  even  the  revenue  was 
olten  collected  in  it,  besides  being  used  for  remittances  to 
Jingland,  as  weU  as  lor  the  payment  of  local  dues;  for  then 
gold  and  silver  money  was  very  scarce,  and  paper  currericy 
was  not  yet  substituted,  though  it  was  soon  after  abundant- 
ly  used. 

The  progress  of  the  town  under  the  old  colonial  system 
7'^o    u'  ^'^^P^'ed  with  its  more  rapid  progress  since.     In 
170^,  the  number  of  houses  was  tweniy-five,  only  four  of 
which  virere  of  brick,  and  all  the  rest  of  wood.     In  1752  a 
brig  and  a  sloop  were  the  only  vessels  actually  belonging  to 
the  port ;  and  about  the  same  period,  the  only  newspaper 
published  m  Maryland  was  issued  at  Annapolis,  under  the 
title  of  the  "Maryland  Gazette,"  one  of  the  numbers  of 
which  for  the  year  1752  contains  an  advertisement  for  a 
schoolmaster,  of  "a  good  and  sober  character,  who  under- 
stands  teachmg  English,  writing,  and  arithmetic,"  and  who. 
It  IS  added,  "will  meet  with  very  good  encouragement  from 
i    il"ijf^*^"*^  ^^  Baltimore  town,  if  well  recommended." 

l  ^^"™°'®  had  sufficiently  increased  in  importance 
to  be  made  the  county-town,  instead  of  Joppa,  which  for- 
merly enjoyed  that  distinction.  The  removal  of  the  county- 
court  to  this  spot  added  at  once  much  to  the  importance  of 


INCORPORATIOIf   OF   BAtTIMORB. 


S61 


Baltimore ;  and  in  1773  the  first  newspaper  was  established 
in  the  town  by  Mr.  Goddard,  of  Rhode^^Island,  who  came 
l^bli  r  P^^^^f.'P'^i^f-  this  purpose;  but  ai  attLpt^o 
establish  a  circulating  library  at  the  same  time  by  a  Mrf  Jo- 
seph Rathel  failed  for  want  of  adequate  support ' 

TT  '^!'%  e*^?^"*^' *'  "^^^""^  achieved  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  did  for  Baltimore  what  it  effected 
for  every  other  town  and  city  in  the  country:  eave  it  a 
greater  impetus  of  advancing  and  accelerating  prosperity 
than  all  previous  causes  put  together.     Baltimore  soon  be- 
came  the  seat  of  an  extensive  foreign  commerce,  by  the  ex- 
portation of  tobacco  to  Europe,  of  flour  to  the  West  Indies, 
and  of  the  produce  of  the  fisheries  of  the  Chesapeake  to 
places  nearer  at  hand.     Ship-building  began  to  be  practised 
on  an  extensive  scale ;  the  carrying  trade  of  Europe  was 
shared  largely  by  the  Baltimore  ship-owners;  and  in  1790 
some  of  her  vesssels  went  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to 
the  Isle  of  France.  *^ 

lilu-  ^'^^^u  "^"^  ™P"lse  was  given  to  the  prosperity  of 
Baltimore  by  an  unlooked-for  cause.  The  revolution  in  St 
iJommgo,  which  followed  almost  immediately  that  of  the 
mother-country,  France,  caused  a  great  number  of  the 
French  colonists  to  seek  an  asylum  In  Baltimore.  Many 
rich  families  having  succeeded  in  escaping  with  their  wealth, 
brought  It  to  Baltimore  with  them;  and,  in  addition  to  the 
substantial  capital  thus  added  to  the  means  of  the  city  there 
was  an  importation  also  of  talent,  ingenuity,  gentlemanly 
manners,  and  generous  hospitality,  which  harmonized  well 
with  the  spirit  that  still  prevailed  among  the  descendants  of 
the  high  rank  and  gentle  breeding  of  the  first  founders  of  the 
colony. 

It  was  in  1796  that  Baltimore  received  the  dignity  of  a 
city,  by  a  charter  of  incorporation  for  a  mayor  and  city 
council ;  and  about  this  period  its  prosperity  vas  higher 
than  at  any  previous  time,  as  its  superiority  in  the  fast-sail- 
mg  qualities  of  its  ships  and  schooners,  known  by  the  name 
ot  the  "Baltimore  clippers,"  gave  it  the  advantage  of  effect- 
mg  quicker  voyages  than  the  vessels  of  any  other  port  could 
accomplish ;  and  in  cases  of  war  between  rival  nations  they 
were  enabled,  by  means  of  these  swift-sailing  vessels,  to 
break  almost  every  naval  blockade,  to  carry  on  with  great 
success  the  various  contraband  trades  of  the  West  India 
Islands,  and  the  continental  ports  of  the  Spanish  dominions 
in  Mexico  and  South  America.  The  supplies  of  imported 
goods  from  Europe  for  the  newly-settled  territories  m  tha 


262 


BALTIMORB. 


weat  valley  of  the  Mississippi  came  also  chiefly  through 
Baltimore,  and  were  transported  from  thence  across  the  Al- 
Utt^\:i'.y  ''^untains,  as  the  opt;ning  of  the  channel  by  New- 
Ortr .„(!«!  ■:  ,..^  the  use  ol  steamboats  on  the  great  Western 
nvera  had  not  then  begun. 

In  1812  the  war  with  Great  Britain  affected  Baltii  ;re  in 
common  with  all  the  seaports  of  the  United  States;  but 
Baltimore  suffered  less  than  any  other,  because  nearly  all 
her  large  ships  were  abroad,  engaged  in  the  carrying  trade 
between  nation  ^  ,  with  each  other,  while  their  fast- 
saihng  "  clippers"  eluded  the  blockade  of  the  Chesapeake 
by  the  British  squadron,  not  a  vessel  of  which  could  ever 
overtake  them. 

In  1814  the  British  forces  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pa- 
tapsco,  close  to  Baltimore,  when  a  battle  was  fought  between 
the  British  and  Americans,  which  ended  in  the  repulse  of 
the  former,  and  the  death  of  their  commander.  General 
Ross ;  after  which  the  British  retreated  to  their  ships,  and 
did  not  again  renew  the  attack. 

When  the  peace  of  1815  came,  the  change  operated  most 
favourably  on  Baltimore ;  and  for  the  few  years  next  imme- 
diately  succeeding  t(^  this,  its  shipping  a  id  its  populatkn 
greatly  increased.     Its  commercial  operations  abroad  weru 
extended  to  India,  Batavia,  and  China  in  the  East,  and  to 
the  islands  of  the  Pacific  in  the  Soi'h  and  W*        while  to 
almost  every  large  po/t  of  Europe  vessels  fton  Jaltimore 
icund  their  way.     Imports  of  British  and  Fren  h,  as  well  as 
German  manufactures,  incn        1  in  an  <  ukiI  degree;  the 
value  of  hnd  and  houses  fose  in  each  sue  eeding  year ;  and 
this  state  of  con'  'antly-aecumulating  wealth  has  gone  on, 
with  slight  and      ^casional  reverses,  'ill  the  -resent  time, 
when,  iiidtead  o.   twenty-i./e  houses  and  a  p.    illation     f 
about  one  hundred  persons,  which  it  possessed   n  the  year 
1752,  it  has  now  nearly  10,000  houses,  and  a  population  of 
10'J,UU,.'  souls;  ar  1,  instead  o[  the  brig  and  the  schooner 
whicii  were  then  the  only  two  vessels  belonging  to  the  port, 
It  has  now  about  150^  /cssels  of  various  kinds,     nounting  i.t 
least  to  100,000  tou  ,.     Such  is  the  briei  'mt  instructive  his- 
tory of  Balti-    .re        history  which   like  that  of  "^ew-York, 
shows  what  r      b      ohieved  by  th    industry  si'     energy  of 
man,  when  p,    ea  ..  det  the  prof    tion  of  equal  laws  and 
liberal  institutions. 


4 


iUFOORAPHr.— riNX   VllWi. 


869 


I 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

torn  house,  Cilj  H«n.-C«mhou«  jr^^rfT^.^w-ir  »"''''"'«»- Kwhsnge,  Cu, 
in  the  latter. -Nigbtcell.  own  Src'n„.;^fl."''^  of  »»•  8"e» 

Labour  of  the  cJ!,4"-P?S3uce  of  their  WoT-SnT^H^rfP*  '"'  »»««  «'"'? 
Ooirernment  .nd  intenul  EcZmy  -PlaL  o^DuhHr  ^k'  '"•'"""on-Pi"  of 
Cttholic  C.thedr«J.  Bwutie.  and '^Defect.  -  plmrJi ^.?^,°•f•^'P.*"  B«'"more.-The 
France.-Unitari«n  Church  F.u,in/.^i  I T"'*f. "'  "*"  'nterior,  pretenled  by 
Baptist  ChurcheilLMSi  Col?/«  f^l'"]*"''.'"~i^P""'°P»"«"'  PfMbyterian, anj 

Sirtora  of  &tl._The  °"hrm.r»  ll?.^''/''"^  "'«'"'»»«  C"tholic 

umore  cfiaracterized  aa  the  "  MonVZntal  Ci^^^AvlTn^?*''';;'  """^  -"hera-Bal- 
and  Statue.-Tl  Battle  Monument  ^Mon-.L-T^  a  •'''"^'"S,u""""'"«"''  Column 
ment,  near  the  Sprinr-CmainS  or  «nrHi  |'>"""' -The  Armi.tead  Monu- 

Sprinr-The  i^m  ftuntain  Thl  V.  f '"^®P""?»  '"  Baltimore.-The  City 
Pfacefof  public  A^u^SShTal'^'c^r^^al^crZ^iTnH'fe^  Fountain^ 

public  Gardena,  Racecourae.-IWumc  oil  EnTm^nf  n  "^  ^'"  R«>?-Muaeum, 
t'apacitie.  for  frade,  Bank.;.,SiruScSfflw.™*°*'  ^"'™~"^«'  "«»  Shipping.-. 

dl^h^  topographical  Situation  of  Baltimore  is,  like  that  of 
aU  the  American  cities  we  had  yet  seen,  ex  remely  well 
chosen  and  advantageous.  The  town  is  built  around  the 
skirts  of  an  mlet  on  the  north  side  of  the  Patapsco  River 
which  discharges  itself  into  the  Chesapeake  at  aTs^ance  of 
about  fifty  miles  from  the  northeastern  extremity  of  that  W 
gulf  or  bay,  and  about  120  miles  above  the  entrance  to  it 
between  the  Capes  of  Virginia,  as  Cape  Henry  and  Cao^ 
Charles  «e^called.  A  finer  situation  for  a  seaport  it  ^ia 
h  refore  difficulty  imagine;  and  the  number  anTsize  of 

peciaUy  from  the  latter  quarter,  into  this  great  estuary,  give 
t  the  advantage  of  water  communication  with  exte  if  ve 
tracts  of  country  in  the  interior ;  while  the  path  for  ftssh^^ 
from  the.     locks  to  the  Atlantic  Oc     .  ..perfectly  cS 
and^unobstr    ted  by  any  impediment  i,       '  w^y  o'f  t"' 

in  Jnoinr^      7%*"^  t\^'^^  "^  °^*«^"«^  ^'0"»  the  follow- 
ing  points,   .ach  of  which  we  visited  in  succession.     The 

cuy  a,  ^  acr    .  aij  arm  of  the    vater,  which  runs  up  like  au 

hnl  ir »  f  ^'.*'®\°'^  *^'^  h»"  ^»<*  the  town.  This  hill  is 
about  100  feet  m  elevau.  md  on  its  summit  are  /sta  ion! 
house  for      -^k-out  down  tl     Chesapeake  Bay,  aid  a  tele 

^::^i  ::r^  .!^!!«  i  --i^f  ships  ^ii^t;t 

;     -  -  ^ .„  in  ,,~  .jiiii.^,    rrora  it  the  view  is  exten- 


m 


S64 


BALTIUORS. 


sive  and  beautiful.  To  the  north,  the  whole  city  is  spread 
out  like  a  picture,  and  every  one  uf  the  principal  building! 
can  be  seen ;  but  the  view  embraces  too  many  objects  for 
any  picture  except  a  panorama.  To  the  south  and  south- 
east the  eye  extends  down  the  Pafapsco  into  the  Chesa« 
peake,  the  distant  horizon  being  the  long  level  line  of  the 
Be  ,  and  in  the  same  direction,  but  nearer  at  hand,  are  the 
projecting  points  by  which  the  entry  to  the  harbour  of  Bal- 
timore is  guarded,  and  on  one  of  which  stands  Fort 
M'Henry. 

Between  the  Federal  Hill  and  the  city,  and  at  the  foot  of 
the  spectator  on  the  north,  is  the  Basin,  as  this  inlet  of  wa- 
ter is  called,  in  which  twenty  or  thirty  steamboats  of  vari- 
ous forms  and  sizes,  with  a  large  number  of  schooners  and 
other  small  craft,  are  crowded  along  the  wharves ;  while  at 
Fell's  Point  on  the  east,  and  the  city-dock  in  the  same  di- 
rection, the  larger  vessels  are  moored  in  tiers  and  groups  in 
great  numbers. 

The  second  view  is  from  the  gallery  at  the  top  of  Wash- 
ington's Monument,  which  gives  you  a  complete  map  of  the 
city  laid  out  at  your  feet,  and  enables  you  to  see  the  direc- 
tion of  almost  every  street,  and  the  position  of  all  the  pub- 
lic buildings,  with  Federal  Hill,  Fort  M'Henry,  and  the 
Chesapeake  in  the  liistance  to  the  south  and  southeast,  this 
monument  being  on  the  northern  extremity  of  the  city. 

The  third  view  is  from  the  Medical  CoMege  and  from  the 
hill  beyond  it,  which,  being  on  the  east,  gives  you  a  new 
and  equally  interesting  view  in  the  opposite  direction,  and 
thus  completes  the  series. 

The  form  of  Baltimore  is  irregular,  but  approaches  nearer 
to  a  square  than  to  any  other  shape.  As  now  built  upon,  it 
is  about  two  miles  in  length  from  east  to  west,  and  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  north  to  south ;  but  the  ground  is  marked  off 
for  new  buildings,  and  streets  are  mapped  and  planned  for 
a  considerable  distance  in  each  direction  beybnd  these  lim- 
its. The  site  is  not  level,  like  that  of  New- York  or  Phila- 
delphia, but  the  ground  has  many  risings  and  declivities, 
which  give  it  a  picturesque  appearance.  The  number  of  the 
elevations  and  depressions  exceeds  fifty ;  and  the  highest 
of  the  former,  on  which  the  monument  of  Washington  is 
placed,  is  at  least  150  feet  above  the  harbour. 

This  inequality  of  surface  is  favourable  to  the  cleanliness 
of  the  streets,  and  to  the  exercise  and  health  of  the  popula- 
tion. It  gives  also  great  variety  of  views  to  Utie  several 
openings  through  the  streets  towards  the  surrounding  ooun- 


PLAN  or  THE   CITT. 


IM 


M  welU«  n7l'  many  Charming  prospects  of  the  distance, 
as  well  as  of  the  immediate  environs. 
The  plan,  or  laying  out  of  the  city,  is  characterized  by 

nhl-Tf."?;^"'""/'^  ""^  '"«"'"'*y  ^hich  mark  the  other 
cities  of  the  United  States.     The  streets  are  generally  broad 
few  being  under  50  feet,  and  some  80  and  100.     These  crl 
each  other  mostly  at  right  angles ;  the  few  deviaUons  [ha 
here  and  there  appear  being  but  exceptions  to    he  gcVera 
rule.     The  centres   of  all  the  streets   are  paversfronJlv 
though  roughly,  and  are  kept  remarkably  clean.     There  ?^ 
side  pavements  to  each,  mostly  made  of  red  bricks  placed 
m  a  diagonal  interlacing,  which  is  agreeable  to  the  eye  a^d 
dry  and  comfortable  to  the  feet.  ^  '    ^ 

th  Ji^*'"''T'^  Pf  *  °f  ^^^  ^'^y  '^  ^»  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  water,  along  the  wharves,  from  Light-street,  at  the  head 

Penl%   'T'.^l'*'  '°  Thames.street,%t  the  extremhy  of 
fLL     T'  '*"  '^^  '^''-     '^'^«  "'^'th  end  of  the  tow^  s^he 

ume^  H  "^T^"'  ^".  *.^"  ^'^'"'^y  ^^  the  Washington  Mon! 
ument,  and  all  around  it  east  and  west;  and  the  princiD^ 
promenade  of  the  gay  pedestrians  is  Baltimore-  freest  whfch 
runs  nearly  east  and  west  through  the  centre  of  the  city 
having  about  an  equal  portion  of  it  north  and  south  S 
n^uS     f.  T^i  thoroughfare  and  place  for  stores,  was  ori^ 

streeV  ;1/M'^?r^^'  ^"*  ''''  "«-  -"^d  Bahimofe. 
?i  tK  J  .  '^  *^^'*  t'^«  "">«'  i"  length,  and  corresponds 
r  w  ?.''«^d"^ay  of  New- York,  the  Pennsylva^a  A^ennP 
111  ShTa"',r'  !?^  R^g^t'street  of  CdrMho'ugh 
ike  Srd  strPPt 'i'"!"^  general  style  or  character,  it'  is  mo?e 
iiKe  »jxiora-street  in  London  than  either. 


Vol.  I L  l 


23 


S60 


BALTIMORE. 


A  small  muddy  stream,  called  Jones's  Falls,  runs  from 
north  to  south  through  the  eastern  part  of  the  city,  but,  in- 
stead of  contributing  either  to  its  beauty  or  its  advantage, 
it  is  a  source  of  considerable  expense  and  vexation,  from 
the  great  quantities  of  alluvial  mud  which  it  brings  down 
every  year  from  the  rich  lands  of  the  Patapsco,  over  which 
it  flows,  and  which  requires  the  constant  use  of  many  ex- 
pensive machines  to  prevent  its  filling  up  the  harbour,  into 
which  it  runs. 

The  private  residences  of  the  more  wealthy  inhabitants  of 
Baltimore  are  handsome  and  commodious,  without  being 
imposing  or  ostentatious.     There  are  no  great  squares  that 
can  compare  with  Washington  Square  in  New- York,  nor 
any  terraces  or  rows  of  houses  equal  to  those  of  Lafayette 
Place  or  Waverley  Place  in  that  city,  or  some  of  the  large 
i    '  private  mansions  near  the  Battery,  at  the  lower  end  of 
ine  Broadway ;  but,  taken  as  a  whole,  there  is  a  greater 
uniformity  of  neatness,  taste,  and  substantial  comfort  in  the 
dwellings  of  the  first  class  in  Baltimore  than  in  New-York. 
Of  the  residences  of  the  middle  classes  the  greater  num- 
ber are  also  excellent ;  and  even  those  of  the  mechanics 
and  artisans  are  such  as  in  England  would  be  deemed  com- 
fortable abodes  for  persons  far  above  that  condition.     There 
is  not  nearly  so  large  an  admixture  of  mean  wooden  houses 
with  the  better  kind  of  brick  and  stone  dwellings  as  in 
Washington  and  New- York ;  and  the  whole  air  and  aspect 
of  Baltimore  is  that  of  a  city  of  substantial  wealth  and  gen- 
eral prosperity,  without  the  least  semblance  of  ostentation  or 
attempt  at  display. 

The  houses  are  chiefly  built  of  fine  red  bricks,  which  are 
manufactured  of  excellent  quality,  and  beautifully  worked 
here ;  and  as  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  town  there  are 
fine  quarries  of  granite  and  marble,  these  two  materials  are 
used  for  surbasements  and  flights  of  steps,  and  both  are  of 
the  finest  colour  and  quality. 

Of  the  public  buildings  of  Baltimore  it  may  be  said  that 
they  are  fully  equal  to  the  size  and  wants  of  the  city,  and 
are  each  well  adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  were 
designed. 

The  first  in  order  of  importance  is  perhaps  the  Ex- 
change, which  is  situated  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  busi- 
ness part  of  the  city,  in  Gay-street,  near  the  water.  It  was 
built  in  1815  by  an  incorporated  company,  from  the  design 
and  under  the  superintendence  of  the  city  architect,  Mr.  B. 
H.  Latrobe.     The  front  of  this  building  in  Gay-street  is  255 


rVBI/IC  BVILBIMOS. 


267 


feet,  and  its  deMth  is  141  feet.  It  is  four  stories  in  height, 
including  the  basement,  which  is  vaulted  throughout,  and  the 
•whole  is  crowned  by  a  dome,  which  rises  to  the  height  of 
115  feet  above  the  pavement.  There  are  three  separate  en- 
trances into  this  great  building,  from  the  streets  to  which  its 
several  fronts  are  presented  ;  namely,  from  Gay-street,  Wa- 
ter-street, and  Second-street;  and  on  the  fourth  side,  under 
a  colonnade,  is  another  entrance  to  the  Exchange  reading- 
rooms. 

The  interior  hall,  used  as  the  "  Change"  for  the  assem- 
blage of  merchants  from  one  to  two  o'clock  in  the  day,  is 
53  {est  square ;  and  east  and  west  of  this  are  colonnades 
composed  of  six  Ionic  columns  each,  the  shafts  of  which  are 
single  blocks  of  fine  Italian  marble,  and  the  style  and  pro- 
portions according  to  the  best  Greek  models.  The  several 
compartments  of  the  building  are  furnished  with  every  re- 
quisite for  the  information  of  men  of  business,  and  with 
newspapers  from  all  parts  of  the  world  ;  and  the  edifice  it- 
self is  a  great  ornament  to  that  quarter  of  the  city  in  which 
it  stands. 

The  Custom-house  offices  are  now  in  a  wing  of  the  Ex- 
change ;  but  there  is  a  noble  edifice  in  progress  of  erection 
on  the  opposite  side  of  Gay-street,  to  form  the  new  Cus- 
tom-house of  Baltimore,  which  was  begun  under  General 
Jackson's  administration :  it  is  now  nearly  roofed  in,  and, 
when  completed,  it  will  be  a  great  ornament  to  this  quarter 
of  the  town. 

The  City  Hall,  which  is  used  as  the  seat  of  the  munieinnl 
government,  and  as  the  depository  of  the  public  records^  is 


268 


BALTIMORE. 


greatly  inferior  in  size  and  beauty  to  the  City  Hall  of  New- 
York ;  yet  it  is  a  substantial  and  convenient  buildiL  a^d 
adequate  to  all  the  purposes  for  which  it  is  required^' 

Ihe  Courthouse,  in  which  the  courts  of  justice  hold  their 
siU  ngs,  IS  a  large  and  stately  edifice  in  Monument  Square 
and  Lexington-street.     Its  architect,  Mr.  Georee  MiUiman 
js  said  to  have  been  a  self-educated  man;  andl^f^p^^^^^^ 
In  /th  Of  a^ell.regulated  taste,  that  he  should  have 

placed  the  principal  front  of  his  building  on  the  declivify  of 
a  steep  hill  m  Lexington-street,  and  the  end  of  the  Sing 
on  he  evel  platform  of  Monument  Square,  where  the  fron? 
certainly  ought  to  be.     The  consequence  of  this  is,  that  the 

ral  ooint'S""'  ^'""^  ^"^^  so  commanding,  in  an  a;chitectu! 
ral  point  of  view,  as  it  would  have  done  by  the  other  ar. 
rangement.     Its  front  is  145  feet  in  length,  and  it  is  65  fee 

of  brick,  with  Ionic  pilasters  of  marble  running  up  the  whole 
heigh  of  the  building  from  the  base  to  the  coniice,  and  has 
a  small  circular  tower  or  cupola  crowning  its  roof.  Its  inte- 
nor  arrangements  are  so  spacious  and  commodious  as  to  give 

ui^t'eSter       '""^  '''  '""''  ^'''^'''  ^^"'^'^""^^  ^^'^^ 
The   County  Jail  of  Baltimore  is  another  of  its  public 

by  Mr.  R.  C.  Long,  an  architect  of  great  taste.  It  stands  in 
he  eastern  quarter  o .  the  city,  near  Madison-street,  but,  be? 
ng  encompassed  with  high  walls,  is  not  so  ornamental  in 
^immediate  vicimty  as  when  seen  from  one  of  the  com" 
manding  eminences  in  other  parts  of  the  town.  It  is  so™ 
cious,  airy  fire-proof,  clean,  and  well  regulated,  underThe 
supermtendence  of  a  board  of  visiters. 

The  Penitentiary  is  another  of  the  public  buildings  con- 

rarbi:^tfth''T"'^^^^^r"  ^^  -^"^^'^^  ^^^-^  ^'  "'-- 

tial  benefat  to  the  town.  It  was  completed  in  1811  ore- 
vious  to  which  time  the  criminals  were  sentenced  to  tb^o^ 
on  the  high  roads,  but  since  then  they  have  been  sent  to  thi^ 
establishment  It  is  in  the  same  quarter  of  the  city  as  the 
jazl,  but  farther  to  the  northeast,  being  seated  on  a  gentle 
eminence  to  the  north  of  Madison-street,  in  an  airf  and 
wini  '^rt     ^'  ''  ^^^"2^°^^^  °^  ^  ^«"t'«  building  aS  two 

^rtfVh'-  r"^?'  °^  ^'^^'^  ^^  °^  ^^^°"«'  -"d  The  upper 
Parts  of  brick.     The  centre  building  has  a  southern  asoect 
and  is  used  by  the  keeperls  family,  tlie  office^"tid  gTcI  .' 
Ihe  wings  are  appropriated  to  the  prisoners.     The  sexes 
are  separated,  and  there  are  ceUs  for  solitary  confinemem 


PUBLIC   BUILDINGS. 


269 


of  aU  the  convicts  at  night,  so  arranged  that,  while  there  is 
light  and  air  for  each,  the  guards  can  see  the  interior  of  ev 
ery  cell,  and  exercise  a  constant  vigilance  of  supervision. 
There  are  also  ranges  of  workshops  for  the  occupation  of 
every  individual  m  labour  of  some  description  or  other  du- 
ring  the  day,  which  extend  over  a  space  of  250  feet  in  length 
and  25  m  width,  some  of  them  being  two  stories  in  height, 
but  the  greater  number  only  one.  "«igni, 

fitrfn^hr^r/th^^f  ?  '°  labour  while  they  have  health  and 
strength,  and  the  tasks  assigned  to  them  are  rigidly  exact- 
ed, under  penalties  sufficiently  severe  to  enforcl  their  per- 
formance.     The  principal  kind  of  labour  is  weaving,  which 

rhli!;f  K^'^^'l  °'  T  ?°°"  >,^  '^"8^* '  ^"^  ^he  produce  of 
their  labour  has  not  only  paid  the  whole  expense  of  the  in- 
stitution,  but  m  some  years  left  a  surplus,  which  keeps  a 
fund  m  hand  for  meeting  deficiencies  or  carrying  forward 
improvements,  as  may  be  thought  best. 

The  government  of  the  prison  is  vested  in  twelve  directors 
resident  in  Baltimore,  who  are  appointed  annually  by  the 
executive  council  of  the  state  ;  and  these  appoint  a  resident 
keeper,  sixteen  deputy-keepers  and  guard,  a  bookkeeper,  a 
clerk,  and  a  physician.  The  directors  meet  at  the  iail  in  a 
body  once  a  month;  and  tAvo  of  their  number,  as  a  visiting 
committee,  meet  at  the  prison  every  week,  so  that  the  man- 
agement  is  vigilant  and  complete. 

Of  public  edifices  for  religious  worship  there  are  a  great 
number  in  Baltimore,  and  these  generally  above  the  average 
ot  such  buildings  for  architectural  beauty. 

rJho^- ^n^li^''f  t"'l  ^P'"'*^"^^   ^«'the   Metropolitan 
Cathohc  Cathedral,  which  occupies  a  commanding  situation 


270 


BALTIMORE. 


on  one  of  the  most  elevated  summits  cf  the  town,  at  the 
corner  of  Cathedral  and  Mulberry  streets.  It  was  designed 
by  Mr.  Latrobe,  but  his  original  plans,  which  were  very 
beautiful,  were  obliged  to  be  abandoned  for  less  expensive 
ones,  the  restriction  in  funds  obliging  him  to  reduce  his 
building,  in  size  and  decoration,  to  a  much  humbler  standard 
than  was  at  first  intended.  This  is  necessary  to  be  stated, 
to  account  for  many  of  the  discrepances  it  exhibits.  It  was 
begun  In  1800,  and  completed  up  to  its  present  condition  in 
1821,  since  which  it  has  remained  stationary,  though  it  is 
still  wanting  in  its  chief  ornament,  the  fine  Ionic  portico, 
which  ought  to  adorn  its  west  front,  and  the  absence  of 
which  is  a  deformity  that  completely  mars  the  general  effect 
of  the  building.*" 

Its  form  is  that  of  a  long  cross ;  the  length  of  the  whole, 
frorri  the  altar  to  the  portico  of  entrance,  being  190  feet, 
and  its  breadth  at  the  arms  of  the  cross  177  feet,  while  its 
height,  from  the  pavement  to  the  top  of  the  cross  that  sur- 
mounts the  dome,  is  127  feet.     The  walls  of  the  exterior  are 
perfectly  plain,  excepting  only  the  tablets  left  by  the  archi- 
tect for  sculpture,  but  which  have  been  strangely  disfigured, 
in  an  architectural  point  of  view,  by  the  long  passages  from 
Scripture  inscribed  on  their  surfaces :  a  most  unusual  prac- 
tice on  the  exteriors  of  religious  buildings.     The  dome  is 
extremely  flat,  representing  a  section  of  t.  ^out  one  fourth  of 
a  globe  downward  from  the  pole ;  while  at  the  west  end, 
where  the  absent  Ionic  portico  should  be,  rise  two  tall  tow- 
ers like  minarets,  crowned  witli  Saracenic  cupolas,  such  as 
are  commonly  seen  in  Constantinople  and  the  larger  cities 
of  the  East ;  and  these  towers  are  loftier  than  the  dome, 
wb>h  they  thus  overtop  and  leave  below  in  the  shade.     If 
the  iOnic  portico  were  built,  its  fine  fluted  columkia  «nd  no- 
ble pediment,  with  sculptured  tympanum  and  tablets,  would 
eclipse  these  incongruities  in  the  building,  and  give  a  Greek 
chf'acter  to  it,  notwithstanding  its  defects ;  but  a3  it  stands, 
'TT:,:!  gray  stone  walls,  perfectly  plain  in  the  exterior,  the  ab- 
rupt termination  of  the  western  front  in  a  dead,  high  blank 
wall,  surmounted  with  a  brick  screen,  and  fianked  by  the 
two  Saracenic  towers,  it  looks  much  more  like  a  Turkish 
mosque  than  a  Catholic  cathedral;  and  if  Arabic  inscrip- 
tions occupied  the  tablets  of  the  exterior  mstead  of  those  in 
Bomafi  character*  which  now  fill  it,  the  resemblance  would 
be  perfect 

_,*  The  portico  i«  given  in  the  engraving  accompanying  thii,  which  was  taken  from 

Mr.  Latrobe'a  orisrinal  diawinv  of  the  hnildinff. 


CATHOLIC   CATHEDRAL. 


S71 


It  is  in  the  interior  of  this  edifice,  however,  that  its  prin- 
cipal beauties  are  to  be  seen.  The  dome,  which  crowns  the 
centre  of  tho  Cathedral,  is  231  feet  m  circumference  exter- 
nally, and  207  feet  internally,  and  it  is  so  relieved  on  the 
inside  with  panels  and  rosettes  as  to  take  off  the  appearance 
of  the  size,  and  give  great  richness  to  the  whole.  The  light 
from  above  is  also  skilfully  managed,  so  as  to  combine  great 
effulgence  with  sufficient  softness  and  general  diffusion  of 
the  rays. 

The  high  altar  is  very  imposing,  both  in  its  architecture 
and  decorations.  The  organ  in  this  Cathedral  is  the  largest 
m  the  United  States,  having  6000  pipes  and  36  stops. 

There  are  two  fine  pictures  here  also ;  one  a  present  from 
Louis  the  Sixteenth  of  France  to  the  archbishop  of  that  day, 
and  the  other  a  present  from  Charles  the  Tenth  to  the  pres- 
ent metropolitan.     The  first  is  the  Descent  from  the  Cross, 
painted  by  Paulin  Guerin,  and  the  second  is  a  representa- 
tion of  St.  Louis  burying  his  officers  and  soldiers  slain  be- 
fore Tunis.     It  is  by  the  celebrated  Steuben,  and  the  subject 
of  the  picture  is  thus  narrated;  "  St,  Louis  could  find  no  one 
to  bury  the  dead  of  his  army  for  fear  of  contagion ;  but  this 
heroic  prince  could  not  bear  to  see  the  bodies  of  so  many 
brave  men  exposed  to  be  devoured  by  hyajnas  and  birds  of 
prey.     To  encourage  his  army,  he  began  the  work  of  chari- 
ty, accompanied  by  his  armour-bearer  and  chaplain.     He  is 
represented  as  holding  the  corpse  of  an  officer,  who  is  his 
relative,  which  he  is  depositing  in  a  rude  grave  made  in  the 
sands."     The  picture  fs  very  beautiful,  and  harmonizes  well 
with  the  surrounding  architectural  ornaments. 

Amid  the  splendour  of  this  Cathedral,  with  its  grand  altar, 
lofty  crucifix,  and  overshadowing  domes,  there  is  a  pecu- 
lit  I  ity  which  is  never  witnessed  in  the  Catholic  countries  of 
Spain,  Portugal,  or  Italy,  namely,  the  arrangement  of  pews 
for  separate  families,  instead  of  the  broad  and  open  pave- 
ment, where  all  the  worshippers  are  placed  on  the  same 
level  before  their  Maker,  in  the  building  dedicated  to  his 
worship.  This  innovation  the  Catholics  of  Baltimore,  no 
doubt,  borrowedjfrom  the  Protestants,  with  whom  it  is  uni- 
r<  -3  '  There  is  another  arrangement,  however,  to  which 
both  Protestants  and  Catholics  appear  to  me  to  have  given 
to  ready  an  assent,  and  that  is,  the  separation  of  the  col- 
OLued  races  from  the  v/hites,  even  in  the  worship  of  their 
common  Deity. 

There  is  a  separate  gallery  for  the  coloured  people  at 
Baltimore  in  this  and  in  most  other  of  the  Christian  places 


272 


BAITIMORK. 


of  worship  ;  a  distinction  which  could  not  be  made  in  any 
cathedral  of  the  usual  Catholic  construction  in  Europe,  and 
which  no  Mohammedan  community  would  permit  for  a  mo- 
ment m  any  mosque  of  their  dominions ;  yet  the  Presbyte- 
rians and  Episcopalians  at  Washington  constantly  enforced 
this  separation  of  the  coloured  and  the  white  races  in  their 
worship,  as  if  the  same  Saviour  had  not  died  for  the  re- 
demption of  both;  as  if  salvation  was  not  attainable  by  both 
on  equal  terms  ;  and  as  if  the  distinction  of  colour  was  to 
be  preserved  hereafter,  in  the  assignment  of  their  stations 
in  a  future  world  as  well  as  in  the  present. 

In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  Catholic  Cathe- 
dral 13  the  Unitarian  place  of  worship,  which,  in  its  general 
style  of  architecture,  has  some  resemblance  to  the  former, 
and  It  IS  justly  accounted  one  of  the  handsomest  religious 
edifices  of  the  city.  The  building  is  108  feet  long  and  78 
feet  broad.  The  portico  is  of  the  Tuscan  order,  with  three 
arched  entrances  ;  and  in  the  centre  of  the  pediment  which 
It  supports  is  a  sculptwed  figure,  intended  to  represent  the 
I'  Angel  of  Truth,"  surrounded  by  rays  of  light,  and  hold- 
ing a  scroll  on  which  is  inscribed  TQ  Mi2Ni2eEi23,  "  To  the 
Only  God."  From  this  portico  five  bronze  doors,  in  imi- 
tation  of  those  of  the  Vatican  at  Rome,  open  into  the  build- 
mg,  three  leading  to  the  body  of  the  edifice,  and  two  to  the 
galleries. 

The  interior  of  the  church  is  a  square,  formed  by  four 
equal  arches  of  33  feet  span,  which  support  a  dome  of  55 
ieet  diameter.     The  summit  of  the  cupola,  which  is  flatten- 
ed  hke  that  of  the  Catholic  Cathedral,  is  80  feet  high,  and  is 
termmated  by  a  star  of  light  through  the  glass  that  crowns 
the  summit,  the  whole  of  the  dome  being  an  imitation  of 
that  of  the  Pantheon  at  Rome.     The  pulpit  stands  upon  a 
double  pedestal,  the  lowest  of  which  is  of  a  fine  green  va- 
riegated marble,  from  Connecticut,  like  the  verd  antique  of 
the  ancient  buildings ;    and  the  upper  pedestal  is  of  fine 
white  marble.     The  pulpit  itself  is  of  the  wood  called  bird's- 
eye  maple.     The  organ  in  this  church  is  very  singular  in 
Its  shape,  but  appropriate  and  beautiful.    Jt  has  the  exter- 
nal form  of  the  ancient  lyre,  the  perpendicular  pipes  repre- 
senting the  strings ;  the  instrument  being  about  23  feet  high 
and  17  feet  wide,  and  containing  1400  pipes  and  22  stops. 
It  was  designed  and  built  under  the  superintend*  nee  of 
Maximilian  Godefroy,  and  opened  in  1818. 

Of  the  other  churches  of  Baltimore,  numerous  as  they 
•re,  there  aie  none  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  their  archi- 


CHURCHES. — COLLKQES. — ASYLUM. 


273 


lecture;  St.  Paul's,  which  may  be  called  the  aristocratic  or 
fashionable  church  of  the  Episcopalians,  is  a  brick  buildine 
cast  into  the  shade  by,  the  disproportionate  heaviness  and 
height  of  Its  tower  and  steeple.  The  first  Presbyterian 
Church,  with  its  pair  of  towers  and  cupolas,  is  a  large  and 
substantial  building ;  and  the  first  Baptist  Church,  with  its 
Ionic  portico  and  circular  dome,  is  also  a  fine  edifice  ;  but 
these  are  all  that  possess  any  claim  to  notice  on  architectu- 
ral grounds,  among  the  forty  or  fifty  places  of  worship,  of 
ditterent  denominations,  which  the  city  contains. 

Among  the  other  public  buildings  of  Baltimore  may  be 
mentioned  the  Medical  College,  on  the  eastern  extremity  of 
the  city,  which,  though  a  substantial  and  commodious  edi- 
face,  and  well  adapted,  in  all  its  interior  arrangements,  to 
the  purpose  for  which  it  is  designed,  is  really  a  deformity 
mstead  of  an  ornament  to  the  view,  from  the  absurdly  lofty 
and  narrow  front  which  it  presents  to  the  west ;  and  the  ef- 
fect of  this  absurdity  is  greatly  increased  by  the  planting  of 
four  white  pyramids  on  the  summit  of  the  roof,  which  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  observer,  and  excite  pity  for  the 
taste  that  could  design  anything  so  incongruous  as  these 
appear. 

The  benevolent  institutions  of  Baltimore  are  numerous 
nnd  well  sustained.  The  first  that  we  visited  was  the  Asy- 
.'.. .  at  Calverton,  a  distance  of  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
froiii  the  city  towards  the  west.  This  buildmg  occupies  a 
fine  airy  position,  commanding  most  extenpive  and  agreea- 
ble  views  of  the  toanixj.  It  extends  over  a  frontage  of 
375  feet,  anc  a  -lepth  of  about  50  feet.  The  central  build- 
ing  was  origu  illv  the  yimda  residence  of  a  Baltimore 
banker ;  but,  on  }■::  UArg  vacated  by  him,  it  was  taken  for 
an  asylum,  and  two  wings  added  to  it,  one  on  each  side, 
east  and  west.  Attached  to  the  estate  are  about  500  acres 
of  land,  with  a  stream  of  water  running  through  it,  and  the 
cultivation  of  this  land  yields  a  large  part  of  the  revenue  of 
the  institution. 

The  building  and  estate  are  the  property  of  the  state  gov- 
ernment  of  Maryland,  and  therefore  no  rent  is  payable  for 
either.  To  it  the  poor  of  the  city  and  county  of  Baltimore, 
who  have  fallen  iuio  distress  either  from  their  own  impru- 
dence or  any  other  cause,  are  sent  as  to  an  almshouse,  and 
here  they  receive  food,  shelter,  and  clothing  as  long  as  they 
remain.  They  are  charged,  however,  on  account,  twenty 
cents,  or  about  tenpence  English,  per  day  for  their  subsist- 
ence   while  thnv  An  not  wnrk  •    hn*    *' — -   -' 

Vol.  I. — M  m  ^ 


S74 


BALTIMORB. 


able  to  labour  in  any  branch  of  occupation  that  can  be  found 
Jor  them  there,  they  begin  to  receive  their  food,  clothine. 
and  shelter  free,  and  have  seven  cents  per  day  allowed 
them,  besides  this,  for  their  labour,  by  which  the  industrious 
soon  pay  off  their  account,  and  some  accumulate  a  little 
sum  with  which  to  go  out  into  the  world  again.  This  con- 
stant occupation  is  favourable  to  health  and,  morality,  and 
preserves  habits  of  industry,  all  of  which  are  of  great  value 
to  the  paupers  themselves,  while,  at  the  same  time,  the  insti- 
tution is  benefited  by  the  profits  arising  from  their  labour 
over  and  above  the  sums  paid  for  it. 

The  average  number  of  persons  in  this  institution  is  about 
hve  hundred ;  at  present  there  were  nearly  eight  hundred  • 
the  commercial  pressure  in  Baltimore  having  produced  the 
same  effects  as  elsewhere,  in  throwing  labourers  out  of  em- 
ployment. But  the  medical  gentleman  who  accompanied 
MS  oyer  the  institution  assured  us  that,  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten,  intemperate  drinking  was  the  cause  of  persons  finding 
their  way  into  the  Asylum ;  and  he  expressed  his  belief 
that  If,  by  legislative  enactment,  the  distillation  and  sale  of 
ardent  spurits  could  be  positively  prohibited  under  the  se- 
verest penalties,  nine  tenths  of  the  disease,  poverty,  and 
crime  of  the  country  would  be  swept  away  at  a  blow.  The 
central  part  of  the  edifice  is  occupied  by  the  superintendent 
and  otfacers  of  the  establishment. 

The  wings  are  divided  into  wards,  in  which  there  is  a 
separation  of  the  males  from  the  females ;  of  the  latter  who 
have  children  from  those  who  have  not ;  and  also  of  the  col- 
cured  from  the  white  inmates.     Of  the  whites,  the  women 
seemed  the  most  abandoned,  and  most  difficult  to  keep  in 
order  or  reclaim;  and  of  the  two  races,  the  coloured  were 
by  far  the  most  obedient,  decent,  and  industrious,  and  their 
wards  were  m  every  respect  better  kept  by  themselves  than 
ttie  wards  of  the  whites  by  their  occupants,  although  thev 
laboured  under  the  disadvantage  of  being  more  crowded, 
*"mr  °^^"Pyi"g  the  least  commodious  part  of  the  building 
1  he  revenue  produced  by  the  working  of  the  farm,  and  by 
the  labour  and  production  of  the  inmates,  is  nearly  equal  to 
the  entire  maintenance  of  the  whole  establishment,  though 
they  have  often  many  unproductive  occupants,  as  young 
children,  extremely  aged  or  decrepit  persons,  some  blind, 
others  diseased,  and  some  insane,  all  of  whom  are  taken 
great  care  of.     Whenever  a  deficiency  occurs  in  the  funds, 
the  representation  of  this  to  the  city  council  of  Baltmiore 
obtains  the  requisite  relief.     Each  ward  of  the  citv  elects  a 


HOSPITAL.  f^Hf 

manager  for  the  poor,  and  these  appoint  four  trustees,  by 
the  joint  superintendence  of  which  the  whole  is  well  con- 
ducfi. 

1:  ■  ne  of  the  late  reports  of  this  institution  the  following 
passage  occurs :  "  The  trustees  have  frequently  adverted  to 
the  fruitful  source  of  nearly  all  the  pauperism  that  comes 
under  their  notice,  the  intemperate  use  of  ardent  spirits. 
They  have  now  the  satisfaction,  however,  to  say,  that  the 
rule  of  the  institution  forbidding  the  use  of  any  vinous,  spir- 
ituous, or  fermented  liquors  as  an  article  of  diet,  has  been 
strictly  enforced ;  and  the  late  harvest  at  the  farm,  which 
employed  several  hands,  was  secured  without  any  such  al- 
lowance." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  frequent  reiteration  of  convic- 
tions like  these  will  at  length  awaken  the  attention  of  gov- 
ernnients  generally  to  the  duty  of  banishing,  by  legislative 
prohibition,  the  manufacture  of  and  traffic  in  this  deadly 
poison,  the  source  of  no  one  earthly  good  to  counterbalance 
the  countless  miseries  which  it  carries  in  its  train. 

The  next  of  the  benevolent  institutions  which  we  visited 
in  Baltimore  was  the  Hospital,  This  stands  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  city,  being  on  the  east,  while  the  Almshouse  is 
on  the  west ;  like  it,  however,  it  is  some  distance  from  the 
town,  and  is  seated  on  a  fine  eminence,  commanding  a  most 
extensive  and  beautiful  view  of  the  entire  city  below  it,  the 
harbour,  the  river,  and  the  far-s'irrounding  country.  In- 
deed, the  view  from  this  Hospital,  especially  from  the  cupo- 
la on  the  summit  of  the  roof,  to  which  we  ascended,  is  quite 
equal  to  that  from  Federal  Hill,  and  as  extensive  as  that 
from  the  gallery  of  the  Washington  Monument. 

It  is  about  thirty  years  since  the  Hospital  was  begun  to 
be  built,  at  the  expense  of  the  state  ;  and  by  donations  and 
loans  from  private  individuals,  and  the  proceeds  of  lotteries 
specially  drawn  for  this  purpose,  it  was  completed  to  its 
present  state.  It  is  a  fine  brick  building,  184  feet  in  length 
by  56  feet  deep  in  the  centre,  and  36  in  the  wings ;  it  is 
four  stories  in  height,  the  cupola  of  the  central  dome  being 
about  100  feet  from  the  foundation ;  and  its  erection  cost 
from  time  to  time  about  150,000  dollars. 

The  interior  is  admirably  arranged ;  in  the  basement  are 
all  the  requisite  offices  of  the  domestic  establishment,  and  in 
each  of  the  other  stories  are  wards  for  the  sick,  private 
apartments  for  the  convalescent,  and  separate  chambers  for 
the  insane.  T.he  rooms  were  all  in  the  nicest  order,  clean, 
airy,  and  well-furnished ;  and  nothing  seeijued  wanting  for 
the  comfort  of  every  class. 


•276 


BALTIMORB. 


The  superintendence  of  this  institution  is  under  the  Cath- 
olics of  Baltimore  ;  twelve  nuns,  ailed  Sisters  of  Charity, 
are  always  in  the  house,  Hubject  o  i  nperintending  sister 
of  their  own  order.  They  all  wear  tlu  black  dress  of  the 
convent,  with  their  hair  cut  off,  and  mi  ill-looking  black 
leather  cap  over  their  heads  in  summer  and  winter.  The 
sister-superintendent  conducted  ^  over  the  building,  and- 
answered  all  our  inquiries  with  great  affability  It  apj  ears 
that  these  sisters  give  their  labours  gratuitouRly,  and  go 
through  them  with  the  greatest  cheerfis  nesH ;  thev  are  occa* 
sionally  relieved  in  rotation,  but  many  emain  here  for  se\ 
eral  years,  and  account  themselves  happy  ii  being  able  to  do 
good.  A  small  Catholic  chapel  is  fitted  up  in  the  building, 
to  which  the  patients  of  that  religious  persuasion  go ;  but 
the  utmost  liberty  of  conscience  is  allowed  to  all  the  in- 
mates, and  no  attempt  is  made  to  coerce  aii .  in  the  r'loice 
of  the  worship  they  may  prefer. 

This  institution,  like  the  Almshouse  or  Asylum  iS  the 
property  of  the  state,  and  there  has  been  recently  t  anted  to 
it  a  considerable  addition  of  surrounding  land  for  walks  and 
gardens,  and  30,000  dollars  in  money  to  make  i.  .  Ji'  ms  and 
improvements  to  the  building.  The  annual  current  expen- 
ses, however,  are  amply  provided  for  by  the  receipts  of  the 
sums  paid  by  the  inmates  for  their  accommodation.  Those 
who  live  in  the  wards  pay  three  dollars  a  week  for  board, 
medicine,  and  attendance,  including  washing ;  and  the  oc- 
c'lpiers  of  private  apartments  pay  increased  rates,  varying 
from  five  up  to  as  high  us  ten  dollars  per  week ;  while  those 
■who  are  destitute  and  unable  to  pay  have  all  the  requisite 
accommodations  free  of  cost;  but  the  number  of  these  is 
comparatively  few. 

The  Baltimore  Infirmary  is  another  institution,  attached 
to  the  Medical  College ;  this  also  is  superintended  in  all 
its  domestic  arrangements  by  the  Catholic  "  Sisters  of  Char- 
ity;" and  we  heard  it  admitted  by  a  Protestant  lady,  who 
lamented  the  fact  while  she  described  it,  that  when  this  in- 
stitution was  under  the  management  of  Protestant  superin- 
tendents, it  was  not  half  so  well  conducted,  as  the  managers 
were  deficient  in  that  zeal,  self-denial,  and  devoted  atten- 
tion to  their  duties  by  which  these  Catholic  sisters  are  so 
constantly  characterized.  There  are  three  physicians  and 
four  surgeons  regularly  attached  to  the  Infirmary,  and  all 
the  students  of  the  Medical  College  use  it  as  their  school  of 
practice.  The  rate  of  payment  for  board,  medicine,  and 
attendance  by  the  patients  is  three  dollars  per  week. 


80CIBTIE» 


UMENTS. 


877 


tin?:     1?**^?^'  ^^^'^  5'^  f  °'^'"S  excellent  institu- 

tiOM,  hU  well  supported  and  ell  conducted,  in  different 
parts  ol  the  city.  A  general  Dispensary,  for  supplving 
medicine  and  advice  to  the  poor  gratuitously,  supported  by 
volintary  contributions  amounting  to  about  1000  dollars  an- 
nually  A  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum,  for  the  education  and 
support  of  Catholic  orphans,  under  the  management  of  the 
Sisters  of  Charity.  A  Benevolent  Society,  for  educating 
and  supporting  de.  tute  1  .nale  children,  whether  orphan! 
or  otherwise,  conducted  p   d  maintained  by  the  Episcopa. 

fen     1  '^t'''^^"""  '^  '  '^^  P°°'  «^  ^he  Methodist 

Episcopal  Church.     A  able  Marine  Society.     A  Fe- 

male  Pemtent's  Refug  y.     A  Humane  Impartial  So- 

cie  y,  for  bettering  th         ndition  of  the  large  class  of  fe- 
males  who  live  by  nee.        ork,  and  whose  inadequate  wages 
often  leave  them  in  a  state  of  want,  and  exposed  to  many 
tempta  ions.     An  Indigent  Sick  Society,  composed  of  Prof- 
estant  ladies,  who  undertake  to  visit  personally  the  indigent 
sick  m  the  several  districts  of  the  town,  of  which  each  takes 
charge  of  a  separate  one,  and  to  supply  them  with  food, 
clothing,  and  other  comforts  needed  by  the  sick,  while  the 
dispensaries   supply  them  with  medicine.     A   Mary-and- 
Martha  Society,  of  the  same  description,  conducted  by  Cath- 
olic ladies ;  and  a  Dorcas  Society,  who  prepare  clothing 
and  rnaterials  for  the  necessitous  poor,  and  by  bazars  or 
laurs,  by  subscriptions  and  donations,  as  well  as  by  the  la- 
bours of  their  own  hands,  greatly  contribute  to  relieve  the 
sufferings  of  their  fellow-beings. 

Baltimore  is  often  called  "  The  Monumental  City."  from 
the  tact  of  Us  containing  a  greater  number  of  public  monu- 
ments-though  these  are  still  very  few-than  the  cities  of 
he  Union  generally,  in  which  the  practice  of  erecting  pub- 
he  monuments  has  hardly  begun  to  receive  much  popular 
support.  '^  "^ 

The  most  in  ortant  of  these  is  the  «  Washington  Monu. 
ment,  which  was  first  proposed  to  be  erected  in  1809,  and 
tor  defraying  the  expenses  of  which  a  lottery  was  permitted 

^^90  onn^^^^r^K*^  '^''^  *^\«""^  "^  100,000  dollars,  or  about 
±^0,000.  This  amount  bemg  thus  secured,  the  place  se- 
lected  for  it  was  an  elevated  part  of  the  northern  edge  of 
the  city,  where  the  requisite  area  of  ground  was  given  for 

81%^';^^°^  ^?  ^"^^''"^  **^^^'^  5  «"d  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1815,  the  foundation-stone  was  laid,  on  the  anniversary  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  by  the  United  States  of 

,  iii^  mvixiimcMi  ia  it  iiubie  juono  column  oi  mar- 

24 


M 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


U£|2^    |2.5 

■so   ■^~      ■■■ 

^  ^    122 
£    |£    12.0 


IL25  i  1.4 


iiy4 


y 


7] 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WECSTER.N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


873 


BALTIMORE, 


liKS  oTf^  ??"u*  ^mu  °^  «™Pl«  dimensions,  50  feet  square 
"^d  20  feet  high.  The  shaft  of  the  column  is  160  feet,  its 
diameter  about  20  feet,  and  the  statue  of  Washington,  which 
stands  on  its  summit,  is  13  feet  in  height.  The  base  and 
pedestal  are  of  pure  white  marble;  the  shaft,  which  is  built 
like  the  Monument  of  London,  is  hollow,  with  a  windinir 
stwroase  up  the  insJde ;  it  is  of  a  whitish  marble  also,  here 
ani  there  slightly  veined  with  blue  streaks.  The  gallery  at 
.he  termmation  of  the  capital,  to  which  visiters  ascend,  is 
also  of  pure  white  marble;  and  the  colossal  figure  on  the 
summit,  which  represents  Washington  after  he  had  resigned 
his  commission  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  Amefican 
lorces  at  Annapolis,  is  of  the  same  material. 

Though  every  part  of  the  successful  career  of  Washing. 
ton  IS  reverted  to  by  the  American  people  with  great  satis-^ 
taction,  there  is  none  on  which  they  dwell  with  greater  ad- 
miration  than  on  this  last  great  act  of  his  mUitary  life,  when, 
having  attained  to  e  power  as  great  as  that  of  any  of  the 
warriors  of  other  countries,  with  more  of  the  aflFection  as 
weU  as  admuration  of  his  adherents  and  followers  than  per- 
haps  any  hero  that  ever  lived,  he  did  not  use  this  power  as 
an  Alexander,  a  Cromwell,  or  a  Napoleon  would  have 
done,  but  cheerfuUy  and  voluntarily  resigned  it  into  the 
hands  of  those  from  whom  he  received  it,  and  for  whom  he 
held  It  but  m  trust.  This  act  of  virtuous  self-denial  and 
conscientious  discharge  of  duty  has  therefore  endeared  his 
memory  to  the  wise  and  good  of  aU  countries,  bui  espe- 
cially  of  his  own.  '^ 

The  workmanship  of  this  column  is  of  the  first  order,  and 
the  monument,  as  a  whole,  both  from  the  chasteness  and 
good  taste  of  its  design,  its  size,  and  its  commanding  posi- 
tion,  18  equal  in  beauty  to  any  simUar  column  in^Lon- 
r  V*', ,  ^*  ^*  ^^^  *  general  resemblance  to  the  Duke 
ot  York  s  monument  in  Waterloo  Place,  overlookinjr  St. 
James  s  Park;  but  it  is  greatly  superior  in  size,  materials, 
and  execution,  and  forms  a  prominent  object  in  all  the  dis- 
tant  views  of  Baltimore. 

The  prospects  of  the  city  from  this  gallery,  with  the  ex- 
tensive  sea-view  down  the  Patapsco  to  the  Chesapeake  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  distant  land-view  over  the  northern 
and  western  boundaries  of  Baltimore  on  the  other,  richly  re- 
ward the  visiter  for  the  trouble  of  Im  ascent.  * 

«  r2?®  ^®*'**,"^,^^  ^^^  monuments  of  Baltimore  is  that  called 

Ihe  BatUe  Monument,"  which  stands  on  what  was  once 

the  site  of  the  old  courthouse  of  the  town,  but  is  now  an 


BATTLE  MONUMENT. 


879 


open  space,  called  Monument  Square,  nearly  in  the  centre 
of  the  city.  It  is  intended  to  commemorate  the  battle  of 
North  Point,  when  the  British  attacked  Baltimore  in  1814, 
at  the  period  of  their  burning  and  destroying  expedition  up 
the  Potomac  to  Washington.  The  British  were  in  this  in- 
stance successfully  repulsed,  and  this  monument  was  erected 
by  the  American  survivers  of  the  battle,  to  the  memory  of 
their  comrades  who  fell  in  defending  their  hearths  and  their 
homes.  It  was  designed  by  the  architect  Maximilian  Gode- 
froy,  who  built  the  Unitarian  Church,  and  the  Gothic  Chapel 
of  St.  Mary's  for  the  Catholics  of  Baltimore.    The  effect  of 


the  monumeijt  is  striking,  though  the  design  is  somewhat  in- 
congruous. The  base  is  Egyptian,  rising  to  the  height  of 
about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground,  characterized  by  the 
lessening  breadth  of  the  square  mass  as  it  ascends,  the  out- 
line showing  the  inclined  lines  within  the  perpendicular. 
On  each  front  is  an  Egyptian  doorway  of  the  same  form, 
and  the  whole  is  surmounted  by  a  deep  overhanging  cornice, 
with  the  winged  globe  and  other  Egyptian  symbols.  Above 
this  base  rises  the  column,  which  represents  a  Roman  fas- 
ces, on  the  bands  of  which  are  inscribed,  in  bronze  letters, 
the  names  of  those  who  fell  in  the  battle  which  it  commem- 
orates. 

At  the  angles  of  the  square  base  on  which  this  column  is 
erected  are  four  figures  called  griffins,  which  seem  to  unite 
the  bodv  of  tV    "  ■ 


body  of  the  lion  with  the  head  and 


f 


TViiijjS  ut  ihe  eU] 


igiu 


S80 


BALTIMORE. 


and  on  the  summit  of  the  fasces  which  forms  the  circular 
column  is  a  figure  meant  to  be,  and  called,  "  the  Statue  of 
the  City,"  holding  a  wreathed  garland  or  crown  for  the  hon- 
oured dead  in  her  hand,  and  having  the  American  eagle  at 
her  feet. 

The  monument  is  composed  of  fine  white  marble,  its  en- 
tire height  is  52  feet,  and  its  auxiliary  decorations  are  rich 
and  ornamental.  Separate  inscriptions  on  the  north  and 
south  front  record  the  erection  of  the  monument  to  commem- 
orate the  battle  of  September  12,  1814 ;  and  the  recollec- 
tions it  cherishes  are  such  as  the  inhabitants  of  Baltimore 
have  no  reason  to  be  otherwise  than  proud  of,  as  their  de- 
fence of  their  homes  was  as  gallant  and  patriotic  as  the  at- 
tack upon  them  was  unprovoked  and  unsuccessful. 

The  third  monument  of  Bq,ltimore  is  that  called  "  the  Ar- 
mistead  Monument,"  which  is  erected  in  the  Gothic  niche 
of  a  building  near  the  City  Spring,  and  was  set  apart  to  the 
memory  of  the  brave  Colonel  Armistead,  who  conducted 
the  defence  of  Fort  M'Henry,  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour, 
against  the  bombardment  of  the  British  on  the  13th  of  Sep- 
tember,  the  day  following  the  battle  of  North  Point.  He 
was  not  killed  in  the  engagement,  but  died  about  four  years 
afterward,  in  April,  1818,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine ;  and  his 
defence  of  the  fort  at  which  he  commanded  being  still  fresh 
in  the  recollection  of  his  grateful  townsmen,  they  honoured 
themselves  as  much  as  him  by  erecting  this  monument  to 
his  memory. 

There  are  several  springs  or  fountains  in  different  parts  of 
the  city,  which  add  to  its  beauty  and  convenience.     The 
City  Spring  is  enclosed  by  an  iron  railing,  and  covered  by 
a  dome  supported  by  pillars ;  it  is  surrounded  by  trees  and 
foliage,  and  has  a  very  pleasing  effect.    The  Western  Fount- 
ain, in  ajiother  quarter  of  the  town,  is  also  covered  with  a 
dome  supported  by  columns,  and  is  used  for  the  supply  of 
ships  in  the  harbour  of  Baltimore  with  water.     The  Eastern 
Fountain  is  much  larger,  and  adorned  with  more  of  archi- 
tectural beauty.     It  has  an  Ionic  colonnade,  open  all  around, 
supporting  a  roof  over  the  spring,  which  is  enclosed  within 
irr>n  railings.     The  Centre  Fountain,  in  front  of  the  market, 
is  also  an  ornament  to  the  spot.     The  markets  are  excellent 
structures,  and  well  adapted  to  their  several  uses. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  introduction  of  fountains  is 
not  more  frequent  in  the  cities  cf  England  and  America. 
Whoever  has  travelled  much  in  Turkey,  Greece,  Italy, 
Spain,  and  Portugal,  cannot  fail  to  have  admired  the  many 


PLACES   OF  AMUSEMENT. 


281 


beautiful  fountains  adorning  the  open  places  anc^  public 
squares  of  the  ancient  cities  of  these  countries.  The  re- 
freshing coolness  of  the  atmosphere,  the  sparkling  brilliance 
ot  the  waters,  the  soothing  murmur  of  4heir  falling  sounds, 
and  the  air  of  freshness,  luxury,  and  repose,  which  are  all 
sources  of  enjoyment,  are  in  themselves  sufficient  recom- 
mendation.  It  seems  astonishing  that  London,  Edinburgh, 
and  Dublin,  as  well  as  New- York,  Philadelphia,  and  Wash' 
ington,  should  be  so  deficient  as  they  are  in  these  combina- 
tions of  beauty  and  utility. 

Of  places  of  public  amusement  there  are  not  many,  and 
these  are  but  little  frequented.     There  is  a  large  theatre,  but 
the  taste  for  dramatic  exhibitions  is  everywhere  on  the  de- 
cline m  America ;  for  it  is  only  on  occasions  when  some 
very  great  attraction,  or  some  new  or  distinguished  perform- 
er is  presented,  that  an  audience  can  be  collected.     There 
18  a  smaller  theatre,  which,  however,  is  entirely  abandoned ; 
and  there  was  recently  a  large  circus  for  the  exhibition  of 
horsemanship,  but  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  nearly  aU 
the  valuah,    stud  of  horses  perished  in  the  flames.     There 
IS  a  good  concert-room  in  the  Law-bdildings,  and  another 
over  the  Assembly-room,  and  music  appears  to  be  well  cul- 
tivated and  enjoyed.     The  suite  of  dancing  and  refreshment 
rooms,  in  which  the  regular  winter  balls  are  held,  are  not 
surpassed  in  beauty  by  any  in  Europe.     There  are  many 
much  larger ;  but  for  richn?ss,  taste,  and  effective  decora- 
tion, nothing  ce  i  be  ra.,re  chastely  beautiful  than  these. 
Ihe  Baltimore  Museum,  which  is  well  furnished  with  collec- 
tions of  '     ious  natural  productions,  a  skeleton  of  the  great 
mammoth,  and  other  curiosities  in  nature  and  art,  has  also  a 
mmor  theatre  attached  to  it,  in  which  farces  and  vaudevilles 
are  performed,  but  to  very  thin  audiences. 

There  are  some  public  gardens  in  Baltimore,  the  Colum- 
bian, Vauxhall,  and  the  Citizen's  Retreat ;  and  public  baths 
have  been  lately  introduced  on  a  good  scale.  The  sports 
of  the  turf  axe  much  patronised  here,  and  in  Maryland  the 
horses  are  considered  to  be  better  trained  than  in  any  other 
state  of  the  Union.  At  a  place  called  Canton,  a  few  miles 
trom  Baltimore,  down  the  river,  a  large  training  establish- 
ment exists,  and  horses  are  kept  there  during  the  intervals 
between  the  lacing  seasons,  at  which  time  persons  interest- 
ed in  this  amusement  come  here  in  great  numbers  from  the 
North  and  the  South.  An  excellent  rule  prevails  in  the 
race-club,  that  no  gambling  of  any  kind  is  allowed ;  and 
Vol.  I. — N  N 


S82 


BALTIMORE. 


gamesters,  whenever  known  as  such,  are  excluded  from 
membership. 

Of  hotels  there  are  a  great  number ;  and  the  three  princi- 
pal ones,  the  Exchange,  Barnum's,  and  the  Eutaw  House, 
are  perhaps  equal  to  those  of  any  town  of  a  similar  size  to 
Baltinaore  in  England.  The  last,  indeed,  which  is  a  new 
establishment,  erected  by  a  company,  is  equal  to  any  in  tho 
Union,  and  combines  more  of  cleanliness,  comfort,  and  ade- 
quate attendance  than  any  hotel  we  had  yet  visited  in  the 
country.  The  boarding-houses  are  not  nearly  so  numerous, 
in  proportion  to  the  population,  as  in  New- York,  and  sucli 
as  we  inspected  previous  to  our  fixing  on  our  abode  were 
very  inferior  in  almost  every  requisite.  We  were  fortunate, 
however,  in  getting  admission  to  one  in  Gay-street,  kept  by 
Mr.  West,  where  the  apartments,  table,  and  society  were  all 
agreeable,  and  where  we  passed  our  time  most  happily. 

The  mimicipal  government  of  Baltimore  is  vested  in  a 
mayor  and  city  council,  the  elections  for  which  take  place 
every  two  years :  in  most  of  the  other  cities  of  America  the 
election  is  annual.  The  city  is  divided  into  12  wards ;  the 
inhabitants  of  each  ward  elect  an  elector,  and  these  12  elect- 
ors  choose  the  mayor.  The  salary  of  his  office  is  2000  dol- 
lars, or  about  £400  per  annum.  His  qualifications  nust  be, 
to  have  been  ten  years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  to  be 
25  years  of  age,  to  have  resided  in  the  city  five  years,  and 
to  have  property  assessed  in  the  city  to  the  extent  of  500 
dollars.  His  power  and  patronage  in  appointments  are 
considerable,  and  his  election  is  almost  always  made  with 
reference  to  his  party  politics. 

The  city  council  is  composed  of  two  branches :  the  first 
consists  of  two  members  from  each  ward,  who  are  chosen 
by  the  inhabitants  directly,  and  elected  annually ;  the  sec- 
ond branch  consists  of  one  member  from  each  ward,  chosen 
also  directly,  but  elected  every  two  years,  with  the  mjiyor. 
The  qualifications  for  a  member  of  the  first  branch  or  lower 
house  are,  a  residence  in  the  city  of  three  years,  and  to  be 
assessed  in  property  to  the  amoimt  of  300  dollars ;  also  to 
be  21  years  of  age.  The  qualifications  for  the  second  branch 
or  upper  house  are,  to  have  been  a  resident  of  the  city  for 
four  years,  to  be  assessed  to  the  value  of  500  dollars,  and  to 
be  25  years  of  ags. 

The  two  branches  of  the  council  sit  in  separate  chambers, 
and,  together  with  the  mayor,  form  the  city  parliament. 
Each  has  a  negative  on  the  proceedings  of  the  other,  and 
the  concurrence  of  all  these  is  necessary  to  the  validity  of 


SHIPPING  AND   COMMERCE. 


283 


their  ordinances.  If  the  mayor  exercise  hi?  veto,  however 
and,  on  a  reconsideration  of  the  subject,  three  fourths  of 
both  branches  of  the  council  concur  in  its  adoption,  it  may- 
become  law  without  the  assent  of  the  mayor.'  Their  duties 
are  strictly  confined  to  municipal  government ;  and  the  sal- 
ary of  the  councillors  is  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  day. 

The  conwnerce  of  Baltimore  is  varied  anc*  extensive, 
though  inferior  to  Boston,  New- York,  Philadelphia,  or  New- 
Orleans,  but  superior  to  any  other  city  or  port.     The  ex- 
ports are  chiefly  tobacco,  the  staple  produce  of  Maryland, 
flour,  salted  provisions,  staves  and  heading  for  casks  and 
barrels,  and  turpentine.     The  imports  are  chiefly  from  Eng- 
land, the  West  Indies,  South  America,  and  China,  in  the 
various  productions  and  manufactures  of  each.     In  the  last 
year  the  amount  of  exports  exceeded  4,000,000  of  dollars, 
and  the  imports  exceeded  6,000,000  of  dollars.     In  the  ex- 
ports, the  largest  amounts  were,  to  England,  882,000  dollars- 
to  the  Hanse-Towns,  682,000 ;  to  the  ports  of  Chili,  620,000  • 
and  to  the  ports  of  Brazil,  407,000.     Of  the  imports,  the 
largest  amounts  were,  from  England,  1,822,000  dollars; 
from  Brazil,  564,000;  from  Peru,  54,000:  and  from  the 
Hanse-Towns,  265,000. 

The  ahipping  of  Baltimore  are  not  so  numerous  at  present 
in  the  larger  classes  as  they  were  some  years  since,  but  the 
smaller  ones  have  greatly  increased,  so  that  the  tonnage  has 
not  at  all  diminished.  The  waters  of  the  various  rivers  that 
flow  into  the  Chesapeake  are  covered  with  Baltimore  sloops 
and  schooners;  many  also  are  employed  in  the  coasting 
trade ;  and  a  few  larger  ships  sail  regularly  to  England  and 
other  parts  of  Europe,  as  well  as  to  India  and  China.  In 
the  last  year,  out  of  115  vessels  built  here,  nearly  100  were 
schooners ;  the  whole  tonnage  built  in  that  year  exceeding 
10,000  tons.  The  reputation  of  the  Baltimore  builders  for 
constructing  the  finest  models  of  beauty  and  the  finest  bot- 
toms for  speed,  in  their  unrivalled  small-craft,  is  still  undi- 
minished; and  a  "Baltimore  clipper"  may  be  matched 
against  the  world  for  fast  sailing  and  keeping  close  to  the 
wind. 

The  commercial  capacities  of  Baltimore,  however,  are  yet 
far  from  being  developed  to  their  fullest  extent.  The  pres- 
ence  of  no  less  than  eight  rapid  streams,  with  considerable 
descents,  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Baltimore,  are 
highly  favourable  to  the  application  of  machinery  by  water- 
power  to  manufacturing  purposes,  and  this  has  recently  been 
maae  availabie  to  the  erection  of  some  powerful  mills  for 


284 


BALTIMORE. 


grinding  flour.  No  less  than  five  railroads  now  lead  from 
Baltimore  in  different  directions;  the  principal  ones,  to 
Philadelphia,  to  Washington,  and  to  Harper's  Ferry,  on  the 
way  to  the  Ohio  River,  being  already  the  channels  of  great 
and  increasing  intercourse ;  and  when  this  last  is  completed 
on  to  the  western  river,  a  distance  of  350  miles,  it  is  more 
than  probable  that  Baltimore  will  be  as  much  frequented  by 
purchasers  and  sellers  from  the  Southern  and  Western  States 
as  New- York  and  Philadelphia  are  at  present. 

As  connected  with  its  commerce,  the  banks  here  are  as 
abundant  as  in  any  city  of  the  same  size ;  they  are  all  in 
good  credit  at  present ;  and  the  insurance  companies  and 
other  establishments  of  this  description  are  both  numerous 
and  well  conducted. 


CHAPTER  XXH. 

Population  of  BBltimore,  white  and  coloured  Races.— Position  of  Maryland  as  a  Slare- 
state.— Maryland  Colonization  Society.— Severity  of  the  Law  against  rescuing  Slaves 
— Vigdanco  of  the  Postoffice  on  Abolition  Publications.— General  Liberality  of  SenI 
timent— Education  of  Coloured  Children.— Negro  Preachers.— Religious  Sects  and 
their  Proportions.— Benefits  of  the  Voluntary  System  of  Support.— Institutions  for  the 
Promotion  of  Education.- Death  of  the  Member  of  Congress  for  Baltimore  —Public 
Funeral,  and  marks  of  general  Respect— Eulogium  on  the  Character  of  the  decea8e<* 
Member.— •Newspapers  in  Baltimore.— Party  and  Neutral  Remarks  on  the  Partisan^ 
ship  of  Political  Writers.— Editorial  Taste  for  Quaintnesa  and  Singularity.— Literary 
Institutions.— Lectures  and  Library.  "        j  i 

The  population  of  the  City  of  Baltimore  by  the  census  of 
1830  was  as  follows  :  Whites,  61,710 ;  free  coloured  per- 
sons,  14,790  ;  slaves,  4120,  making  a  total  of  80,620.  The 
rate  of  increase  has  been  such  as  to  create  a  belief  that  the 
population  is  at  present  a  total  of  about  100,000  persons, 
just  equal  to  the  population  of  Sheffield  in  England.  This 
proportion  of  the  free  coloured  and  slave  population  to  the 
whites,  as  exhibited  in  the  census  of  the  city,  is  very  differ- 
ent from  the  proportions  of  the  same  classes  to  each  other  in 
the  census  of  the  State  of  Maryland,  which  at  the  same  pe- 
riod was  as  follows:  Whites,  291,108;  free  coloured  per- 
sons, 52,938 ;  slaves,  102,994.  In  the  city,  therefore,  it  will 
be  perceived  that  the  slaves  were  not  one  fourth  of  the  num- 
bers of  the  free  coloured  people,  and  both  these  together 
■yvere  not  more  than  one  fourth  of  the  whole  population; 
while  in  the  state  the  slaves  are  twice  as  numerous  as  tho 


COLONIZATION   80CIBTY. 


28ft 


free  coloured  persons,  and  both  together  are  equal  to  more 
than  half  the  white  population. 

The  position  which  Maryland  occupies  as  a  slave-state  is 
peculiar,  and  has  become  a  source  of  jealousy  and  alarm  to 
some  of  the  people  of  the  more  southern  states,  especially 
those  on  the  seaboard.  The  feeling  of  the  great  body  of  the 
whites  m  Maryland,  as  well  as  in  Virginia,  is  in  favour  of  ab- 
olition ;  and  if  they  did  not  apprehend  danger  to  their  con- 
nexions with  the  more  southern  and  western  states,  it  is 
probable  that  each  would,  before  this,  have  made  a  com- 
mencement in  the  good  work. 

But  Maryland  has  made  at  least  one  step  in  advance  of 
her  neighbours.  There  has  existed  for  many  years  a  gen- 
eral society  for  removing  the  surplus  free  blacks  from  Amer- 
ica to  Africa,  called  the  American  Colonization  Society; 
and  the  colony  of  Liberia,  in  Africa,  is  their  place  of  settle- 
™  j"*TT7i-^'"  ^^"'■y  ^^ayj  tlie  popular  senator  from  Kentucky 
and  Whig  candidate  for  the  presidency,  is  at  the  head  of 
this ;  and  nearly,  if  not  all,  the  Southern  States  are  in  favour 
of  It,  because  it  keeps  up  the  semblance  of  a  wish  to  advance 
the  question  of  emancipation  gradually  and  by  slow  degrees, 
and  thus  enlists  the  sympathies  and  sooths  the  consciences 
of  the  scrupulous  and  religious,  while  at  the  same  time  it 
removes  only  those  free  blacks  whose  presence  in  the  South- 
ern States  is  thought  to  be  dangerous,  as  likely  to  excite  the 
envy  and  stimulate  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  slaves. 

The  abolitionists  of  the  Northern  States  are  therefore  al- 
most all  hostile  to  this  Colonization  Society,  because  they 
believe  that,  while  the  slaves  increase  in  the  southern  parts 
of  the  Union  at  the  rate  of     *  000  a  year,  and  the  utmost 
efforts  of  the  Colonization  Socitty  can  get  off  no  more  than 
2  or  3000  by  emigration  in  the  same  period,  the  tortoise 
might  PS  soon  hope  to  overtake  the  hare  as  the  Colonization 
Society  to  overtake  the  surplus  population  of  the  slaves,  or 
at  all  lessen  the  number  of  the  whole  body.     In  Maryland, 
however,  a  great  step  has  been  taken,  which  is  this :  that, 
instead  of  joining  the  general  body  of  the  slave  states  in 
supporting  only  one  society  and  one  colony  for  the  whole 
Union,  they  have  established  a  State  Colonization  Society 
for  Maryland  only,  and  founded  a  separate  colony  for  the 
settlement  of  free  negroes  and  people  of  colour  from  this 
state  alone;  thus  setting  an  example  to  the  other  states, 
which,  if  each  were  to  follow  out  in  good  faith,  might  effect 
all  that  colonization  is  ever  likely  to  accomplish  for  the  ne- 
gro race  of  America. 


286 


BALTIMORB. 


But  a  Still  stronger  objection  than  that  of  the  inefficiency 
of  colonization  to  reduce  the  number  of  slaves  to  any  great 
extent,  is  this :  that  the  whites  possess  no  moral  right  to  ex- 
patriate those  born  on  the  same  soil  as  themselves  from  the 
country  of  their  nativity,  and  that  it  is  an  injustice  to  the 
coloured  races  to  use  even  indirect  coercion  to  drive  them 
from  what  is  as  much  their  home  as  it  is  that  of  the  whites, 
since  both  are  strangers  in  the  land,  and  interlopers  on  the 
soil  of  their  red  brethren,  the  Indians.     This  practice  of 
forcing  the  Indians  to  go  farther  west  beyond  the  Mississip- 
pi, and  the  Airicans  to  go  farther  east  beyond  the  Atlantic, 
to  make  room  for  the  greater  spread  of  the  white  race  on 
the  territory  on  which  the  red  and  black  races  are  found  to 
be  an  encumbrance,  can  only  be  justified,  if  justified  at  all, 
on  the  principle  that  the  strongest  have  a  right  to  do  what 
they  please  with  the  weakest.     This  is  the  only  intelligible 
principle,  indeed,  in  which  either  war,  or  slavery,  or  extir- 
pation can  be  maintained ;  though  the  same  principle  will 
equally  sustain  the  right  of  the  robber,  the  incendiary,  or  the 
murderer;  and,  when  Christianity  and  reason  shall  over- 
come selfishness  and  prejudice,  this  will  be  perceived  and 
admitted. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  severity  with  which  any  attempt 
at  assisting  slaves  in  their  escape  is  still  visited  in  the  states 

of  Virginia  and  Maryland— for  in  both  the  law  is  the  same 

the  following,  taken  from  the  Baltimore  Patriot  of  April  4, 
may  be  given : 

"  Sbbious  Charok.— On  Saturday  last,  as  we  learn  from  the  Norfolk 
Herald,  a  breach  of  the  laws  of  Virginia,  involving  the  severest  penalty 
m  her  whole  criminal  code  short  of  capital  punishment,  was  charted 
against  Captain  Charles  Hubert,  of  the  British  brig  Charity.    This  was 
no  other  than  an  attempt  to  abduct,  or  a  permission  of  the  attempt  by 
others  to  abduct,  a  slave,  the  property  of  a  citizen  of  Norfolk,  in  the 
hold  of  the  vessel  under  his  command.    It  appears  that  the  brig  had  ta- 
ken  in  a  cargo  of  staves,  and  was  on  the  eve  of  departure  for  Barbadoes 
when  some  detention  was  suffered  in  consequence  of  the  desertion  of 
several  of  the  crew.    In  the  effort  to  reclaim  these,  the  captain  brought 
himself  under  the  penalties  of  the  law  by  making  a  forcible  entry  into  a 
sailor's  lodging-house.    An  action  of  damages  was  the  consequence  of 
this  Illegal  step,  which  the  captain  compromised  by  the  payment  of  113 
dollars.    Meantime  the  police  officers  succeeded  in  capturing  one  of  the 
sailors  who  had  deserted ;  and  this  man,  on  being  taken,  gave  informa- 
tion that  a  runaway  slave  was  secreted  on  board  the  brig.    The  same 
information  had  been  imparted  to  the  pilot  of  the  vessel  by  the  cook  (a 
free  coloured  man),  who  pointed  out  his  hiding-place,  which  was  amonV 
the  staves  m  the  hold,  and  in  which  the  fugitive  was  found.    The  negro 
WM  taken  thence,  and  the  captain  of  the  brig  was  taken  into  custody, 
and  committed  to  the  county  jail  to  stand  his  trial.     The  penalties 
against  this  act  are  particularly  severe,  being,  as  stated  by  the  Herald, 


8LATKRY. 


287 


1.  A  fine  of  Ave  hundred  dollars,  recoverable  by  any  perhon  who  wUl 
sue  for  the  same  ;  a.  The  value  of  the  slave  on  the  actiSnof  throw^er 
in  which  action  the  vessel  is  liable  to  attachment  to  answer  the  35 

ea^VZl:  "^  Tvf'L"'  i"^r  '^  t*'*^'  ••  «•  A  fin«  «f  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Literary  Fund ;  and,  lastly,  the  master 

?f  ihf  i»r"*l"'i,"if"?  *°  ft  prosecution  and  three  yekrs'  imprisonmeSJ 
If  the  slave  shall  be  found  on  board  after  the  vewel  leaves  the  port 
«i5i7!l»"  ^"'  <A«  W«>«  was  on  board  or  not.'    The  brig  had  been  placed 
under  attachmen^  to  await  the  result  of  a  judicial  decision." 

Another  instance  may  be  mentioned,  which  is  quite  as 
strikmg.     There  resides  at  Baltimore  a  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter,  the  Rev.  Robert  Breckenridge,  who  has  been  for  many 
years  a  warm  advocate  and  supporter  of  the  American  Col- 
onization Society,  and,  as  such,  has  been  much  cherished 
and  esteemed  by  the  people  of  the  South.     Recently,  how- 
ever,  either  from  some  change  in  his  views  or  from  the  more 
frank  and  fiUl  expression  of  them,  he  has  attracted  great  no- 
tice,  and  inspured  very  opposite  sentiments.     In  a  rehgious 
periodical,  edited  and  published  by  him  in  this  city,  he  issued 
an  article  entitled  "A  Presbyterian  on  the  Bible  Doctrine 
of  Slavery."     This  article  led  to  the  following  correspond- 
ence,  which  has  been  recently  published  in  the  Petersburgh 
Intelligencer,  a  newspaper  published  in  the  adjoining  state 
of  Virginia.  ° 

"  The  following  is  the  Correspondence  between  Mr.  Shore,  our  post- 
master, and  General  Pegram,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  of  vigilance : 

,4 ,  n o-        » *  ,  " '  f ♦'^office,  Petereburgh,  Febnwry  8, 1838. 

J  Dear  Sir,--.At  your  leisure,  will  you  have  the  kindness  to  peruse  the 
article  of  "A  Presbyterian  oa  Bible  Slavery," contained  in  three  num- 
bers  of  a  religious  periodical  published  in  Baltimore  by  Breckenridire 
&c.  t  I  am  satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  the  article  and  magazine  are 
of  that  class  of  incemhary  productions  which  the  act  of  Assembly  was 
designed  to  suppress,  and  that  it  is  my  duty  to  hand  them  over  to  the 
magistracy  to  beoubltcly  burned.  Your  opinion  is  respectfuUy  solicited 
1  experienced  lawyer,  touching  the  character  of  this  article,  as  weU 
4?  "»»e  o/gan  «'  »  committee  raised  by  this  commonwealth  soon  after 
tflat  awful  tragedy  was  acted  called  the  Southampton  insurrection,  in 
which  about  sixty  men,  women,  and  helpless  infants  were  cruelly  butch- 
ered by  their  savage  slaves.  ' 

" '  It  does  seem  to  me,  sir,  that  I  should  subserve  the  cause  of  the 
abolitionists,  and  be  instrumental  in  getting  up  the  second  act  of  this 
tragedy,  by  circulating  the  wild  speculations  of  this  mad  incendiary.  Let 
me  ask  you,  sir,  would  it  be  safe  to  disseminate  among  our  slaves  the 
doctnne  which  "A  Presbyterian"  would  establish,  and  which  is  so  fuUy 
endorsed  by  the  "  disclaimer"  of  the  editors  * 

"  'If  the  doctrines  of  this  writer  be  true,  who  will  venture  to  condemn 
the  conduct  of  the  abolitiomsts  ?  He  attempts  to  draw  arguments  from 
the  Bible  to  show  that  slavery  is  a  crying  and  damning  sin.  Vain  is 
the  attempt !  for  not  one  condemnatory  sentence  can  be  found,  from 
Genesis  to  Revelation,  that  touches  slavery  as  it  exists  in  this  country. 
ws,i,.v  M.  iiare  xmpuacu  u^ii  yuu.    fliy  apology  is  to 


388 


BALTIXOUI. 


be  found  In  taemTe  Importance  of  the  subject  upon  which  your  opin- 
ion w  asked,  trom  the  elevated  statioa  you  occupy  in  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  your  fellow-citizens  throughout  our  state,  any  opinion 
expressed  by  you  wiU  have  wewht,  and  will  decide  my  ultimate  course. 

"•I  am,  Ac, 

"'Thomas  Shori,  P.M.' 

II I  n—  0--      f  I.  *  ,.  .      "  '  ''•'""burgh,  Febniary  9, 1839. 

Dear  Sir,— I  have  carefully  ejtammed  the  article  of  "  A  Presbyte- 
rian on  the  Bible  Doctrine  of  Slavery,"  contained  in  the  January  and 
Jebrusiy  numbers  of  the  »  Baltimore  Literary  and  Religious  Magazine," 

.I^mi."  ™y  attention  has  been  invited  by  your  note  of  yesterday. 
The  act  oj  Assembly,  passed  March  83,  1836,  proVides,  "That  if 
any  person  shaU  hereafter  write,  print,  or  cause  to  be  written  or  print- 
ed, any  book,  pamphlet,  or  other  writing,  with  intent  of  advising,  en- 
treating,  or  persuading  persons  of  colour  within  this  commonwealth  to 
make  insurrection,  or  to  rebel,  or  denying  the  right  of  masters  to  propertv 
m  their  tlavei,  or  inculcating  the  duty  of  resistance  to  such  right,  or  shall, 
with  intent  to  aid  the  purposes  aforesaid  of  such  book,  pamphlet,  or 
other  writing,  knowingly  circulate  or  cause  to  be  circulated  any  such 
lK)0k,  dec,  such  person  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  felony,  &c.  And 
the  next  section  of  the  same  act  farther  provides,  "That  if  any  post- 
master or  deputy  postmaster  within  this  commonwealth  shall  give  no- 
tice to  any  justice  of  the  peace  that  any  book,  pamphlet,  or  other  wri- 
ting  hath  been  received  at  his  office  through  the  medium  of  the  mail,  of 
^  character  and  descrtptton  mentioned  in  the  section  of  this  act  imme- 
diately preceding,  it  should  be  the  duty  of  such  justice  of  the  peace  to 
inquire  mto  the  circunristances  of  the  case,  and  to  have  such  book,  pam- 
phlet,  or  other  writing  burned  in  his  presence,"  Ac.  "  Any  postmaster  or 
deputy  postmaster  knowingly  violating  the  provisions  of  this  act,  shall 

SillSl^i"*  ^7  l!"™  "°*  *T  ^^?"  fifty  dollars,  nor  more  than  twi  hun- 
dred dollars,  to  be  recovered  with  costs,"  &c 

nrlu^lijllf ?«!?•'**  *•**  two  articles  in  the  magazine  referred  to  without 
fi^^^vlLilno^^T'  •VI'l^  *'°"'""  5"y»hing  offensive  to  any  part  of 
the  movisions  of  the  act  I  have  quoted.    Whatever  may  have  Wen  the 

S«®"  °i  ^^A  ''"**/»  ^^^'^  *'*""<**  ^  «  'J°"'*  that  he  has  assumed  po- 
Bitions  and  advanced  arguments  antagonist  to  "  the  rijrht  of  masters  tn 
property  in  their  slaves."  And  this  right  he  harassliled  in  the  moa" 
imposing  of  all  other  modes,  by  undertaking  to  prove  that  it  is  denied 
by  the  laws  of  God ;  that  not  only  « the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament 
give  no  countenance  to  the  system  of  slavery  established  in  this  land, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  they  decidedly  condemn  it  as  oppressive  and  un- 
just;"  but  also  that  our  Saviour  "clearly  condemns  the  system  of  sla- 
very which  prevails  in  our  land."  And  after  thus  establishing  his  posi- 
tion,  as  he  confidently  supposes,  that  masters  have  no  right  of  propertv 
m  their  slaves,  and,  by  consequence,  that  the  invasion  and  resistance  of 
such  claimed  right  would  be  sanctioned  by  the  same  high  authority,  he 
concludes  with  this  dangerous  suggestion  :  "The  people  of  the  South 
may  take  their  choice,  either  to  rid  themselves  of  the  sin  of  slavery 
peaceaby  and  righteously,  or,  by  persevering  in  their  present  course, 
leave  a  legacy  of  blood  to  their  chUdren."  «'"u«e, 

"'I  am  of  the  opinion  that  such  a  publication  is  clearly  «  of  the  char- 
acter and  description  mentioned"  in  our  act  of  Assembly,  and  that  yon 
would  be  subject  to  its  penalties  if  you,  knowingly,  cause  to  be  circula- 
ted the  numbers  contaming  the  articles  referred  to.  In  examining  this 
subject,  I  have  carefully  discarded  the  sensitive  jealousy  which  may  be 
supposed  to  influence  the  mind  of  a  slaveholder,  and  have  considered 


RELIOIOUI   MOTS. 


880 


it,  M  I  prnsume  you  presented  it  to  toe,  merely  as  a  levid  question  ari- 
sing under  our  statute. 

"  *  Yours  most  respeotfuliy, 

''♦J.  W.  PwaAM.'" 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  however,  that  in  all  our  inter- 
course with  the  people  of  Baltimore,  and  we  were  continu- 
ally out  in  society,  we  heard  less  about  slaves  and  t>layery 
than  in  any  town  we  had  yet  visited;  and  we  never  heard 
the  institution  of  slavery  defended  or  excused,  as  we  had  so 
often  heard  it  done  by  the  merchants  of  New- York.  All 
parties  here  seem  to  admit  it  to  be  a  great  national  evil ;  all 
appear  anxious  to  see  it  abolished ;  and  all  with  whom  we 
converjsed  were  more  willing  to  listen  to  and  consider  any 
proposition  for  hastening  the  period  of  emancipation,  than 
we  had  found  to  be  the  case  elsewhere,  except  among  the 
professed  abolitionists. 

It  seemed  remarkable  to  us,  and  was  not  less  agreeable 
than  unexpected,  that  we  should  thus  m.ut,  in  the  populous 
capital  of  a  slave-state,  more  toleration  of  opinion  on  the 
subject  of  slavery,  and  a  more  general  sympathy  with  efibrts 
for  its  removal,  than  with  a  large  number  of  those  residing 
in  the  free  state  and  populous  city  of  New- York.  For  this 
reason  there  are  many  schools  opened  for  coloured  children, 
and  many  benevolent  persons,  ladies  especially,  assist  per- 
sonally in  teaching  them ;  so  that  here,  at  least,  there  is  no 
dread  of  their  becoming  too  intelligent.  There  are  also  five 
African  churches  in  the  city,  where  the  service  is  performed 
by  coloured  pr*rachers  to  coloured  congregations,  two  of 
these  being  Methodists,  and  one  a  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church. 

Of  the  religious  sects  into  which  the  100,000  inhabitants 
of  Baltimore  are  divided,  the  followbg  is  believed  to  be  the 
order  and  predominance  of  extent  and  influence. 

First  come  the  Roman  Catholics,  who  far  outstrip  any 
other  separate  sect  in  numbers  and  in  zeal.  Besides  their 
large  and  imposing  Cathedral,  by  far  the  most  pror-nent  of 
all  the  public  buildings  of  the  city  in  every  view  Balti- 
more, they  have  churches  and  chapels  scattered  over  all 
parts  of  the  town,  and  othejrs  rising  up  in  every  direction. 
The  last  new  one  that  we  saw,  just  opened,  has  inscribed  in 
large  letters  On  the  outside,  "  The  Church  of  Mount  Carroel 
and  the  Sacred  Heart."  The  Catholic  archbishop,  and  all 
the  subordinate  priesthood,  are  learned,  pious,  and  clever 
men ;  the  Sisters  of  Charity  have  among  their  number  maaj 
intelligent  and  devoted  women ;  and  these,  with  the  aem^ 


vol..  1.— U  o 


2o 


iMO 


BALTIUORE. 


11 


nary  for  the  education  of  Catholic  youth,  secure  not  merelv 
the  permanence  of  the  present  supremocy  of  Catho  ic  num 

bers  and  Catholic  influence,  but  L  still'i^  h«  steady  and 
progressive  increase.  o'coujr  uuu 

Next  to  the  Catholics,  the  Methodists  are  most  numer- 
ous;  and  one  branch  of  these  are  called  EpL^^a  So 
d^sts^  from  havmg  bishops,  but  resemblin/the  Weslevan 

«lslf  ''"^^  *'^^'  "'^^^^'  -  do^ctJfne,  mode'" 
vrorship,  disciphne,  or  government.     The  Presbvterians  fol 

Ch^chfe?i°"T  "Tu" "''  '■""""-B  *«  ritual  of  the 
h.vo  handsome  Sr^f  an/Sl.l       .T"?'!^'  ""'' 

tarians,  Swedenborgians,  and  SS^ktlSve'eXk^^^^^^^^^^ 
worship  for  their  several  congregations.  ^         ""^ 

As  no  one  among  all  these  varied  sects  has  anv  onnn** 
ion  with  the  State,  or  possesses  any  privilegro?e?ani"!r 
er    there  is  no  gromid  for  envy  of  jealous^;  amon.  Ihem 
There  18,  therefore,  a  generally  tolerant  and  indXm  gS 
E^Ik^*^"''  '^"^°"  inter^course;  and  in  JSTat  e?s  in 

are  disregarded.     The  voluntary  system  is  found  to  be  abun! 
dantly  adequate  to  the  support  of  religious  teachers  wkj 

der  on  the  whole,  than  the  same  classes  in  Englaid  •  not 

Epnte  ?  ^'""^"^'  *»"*  ^"  unexceptionable  moralilyiL' 
gentlem^y  manners,  and  in  zealous  and  exclusivrdevoJion 
to  their  duties;  and  the  best  understanding  apilLs  to^* 
iflt  between  them  and  their  followers.  ^^  * 

»  Of  institutions  for  education,  and  for  the  nronntinn  «f 
toature  and  science,  there  ar'e  seveJ^I '  VZg  a  "  al 
1696,  funds  wereapprooriatedhvthp  n,«,,;«..^r  "f._^®  ? 


SDUCATION. — DEATH   OF   MR.   M'kIM. 


291 


when  a  colony  of  Great  Britain,  for  the  support  of  a  college 
and  free-schools.  In  1782  Washington  College,  at  Chester- 
town,  was  established.  In  1784  St.  John's  College,  at  An- 
napolis, was  founded ;  and  these  two  were  then  united  into 
a  University.  In  1807  the  State  appropriated  12,000  doU 
lars  per  annuin  for  its  support ;  and  in  1813  a  tax  was  laid 
upon  Bank-stock,  which  produced  about  10,000  dollars  a 
year,  and  which  is  expended  in  the  support  of  free-schools. 
By  an  act  of  Assembly,  the  personal  estate  of  all  individu- 
als who  die  intestate  in  Maryland,  and  leave  no  relatives 
within  the  fifth  degree,  is  appropriated  to  this  object,  unless 
they  are  seamen  t  and  in  that  case,  the  effects  go  to  the  funds 
of  the  Charitable  Marine  Society.  Throughout  the  whole 
state  Sunday-schools  are  very  numerous,  and  all  are  well  at- 
tended by  teachers  as  well  as  pupils. 

vas  in  1807,  after  much  difficulty,  that  the  State  Legis- 
laiu«e  succeeded  in  founding,  in  the  City  of  Baltimore,  the 
institution  called  The  University  of  Maryland.  The  money 
for  building  it  was  raised  by  lottery,  and  it  was  incorporated 
in  1812.  The  professors  of  Law,  Physic,  Anatomy,  Chym- 
istry,  and  Mineralogy  are  all  eminent  in  reputation ;  the 
apparatus  is  excellunt,  and  the  collection  valuable.  The 
State  has  made  liberal  grants  for  the  support  of  the  institu- 
tion ;  and  the  fees  of  the  students,  though  moderate  in 
amount,  are  productive  by  numbers.  The  Roman  Catholic 
College  of  St.  Mary's  is  considered  to  be  an  excellent  sem- 
inary of  education  for  pupils  of  that  faith ;  and  the  Protest- 
ant establishment  of  Baltimore  College  is  squally  so.  There 
are  private  academies  for  both  sexes  in  great  abundance; 
and  one  of  the  most  classical  edifices  in  the  town,  architec- 
turally considered,  is  a  free-school,  built  in  the  form  of  a  Doric 
temple,  and  liberally  endowed  by  the  late  representative  of 
Baltimore,  Mr.  Isaac  M'Kim. 

The  death  of  this  gentleman  happened  just  after  we  had 
left  Washington  for  this  place,  he  being  the  third  member 
of  Congress  that  had  died  within  the  period  of  about  a 
month ;  and  each  was  honoured  with  a  public  funeral  at  the 
public  expense,  this  being  the  custom  observed  towards  all 
the  members  of  both  houses  who  may  die  during  the  sitting 
of  Congress.  It  may  serve  to  convey  to  the  reader  an  idea 
of  the  respect  shown  to  the  office  of  a  legislator,  though  in 
this  instance  enhanced  by  much  personal  respect  for  the 
man,  to  give  the  order  of  proceedings  at  the  funeral  of  Mr. 
M'Kim,  as  it  was  observed  at  Washington,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing is  the  official  report : 


SM 


BALTIMORB. 


"The  committee  of  arrangements  and  pall-bearers  attended  at  th« 
late  residence  of  the  decease^  at  Gadsby's  Hotel,  on  Pennsylvania  Av! 
enne,  at  ten  o'clock  A.M..  at  which  time  the  remains  werS  Smov^df  £ 
f2!!?«f*l*''«*'°°""rS®  **'  arranifements,  attended  by  the  seweant-at- 
•ime  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  to  the  haU  of  the  House. 

At  eleven  o'clock,  funeral  service  was  performed  in  the  hall  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  by  Mr.  Slicer,  tVe  chaplain  of  the  Senate^ 
?-fi'3*T*^  Tn  ■"  "npressive  prayer,  and  read  the  twelfth  chapter  of 
Ecclesiastes,  'Remember  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth  'deliv- 
ered  an  appropriate  diMourae  upon  the  occasion,  firom  Ecclesiastes,  chap. 
IX.,  J, « *  or  the  hvm^  know  that  they  must  die.' 

"After  these  services  the  procession  moved  to  the  railroad  deoAt  on 
Pennsylvaraa  Avenue  in  the  following  order :  ^ 

The  Chaplains  of  both  Houses. 
Plmicians  who  attended  the  deceased. 

Committee  of  Arrangements,  vix.  : 

The  Family  and  Friends  of  the  deceased. 

The  Members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  and 

Senatore  from  Maryland  as  mourners. 

Tiw  Sereeant-at-arms  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  House  of  Representatives,  preceded  by  their 

Speaker  and  Clerk. 

The  other  Officera  of  the  House. 

The  Sergeant-at-arms  of  the  Senate. 

The  Senate  of  the  United  States,  preceded  by  the 

Vice-president  and  their  Secretary. 

The  other  Officers  of  the  Senate. 

The  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  Heads  of  nepartments. 

Foreign  Ministere. 

Citizens  and  Strangers. 

•  j'^^®tf*J'P"  ''*■  ^^^^ '"  *^fi  car  provided  for  the  purpose,  and  car- 
ned  to  Baltimore,  attended  by  the  chaplains  and  phySsI  thecSm! 
mttee  of  arrangements,  the  pall-bearers,  the  delegation  from  Maryland 
u  mourners,  and  some  ef  the  membera  of  the  two  houses  of  CongresS 
for  whom  cars  were  provided."  ^ungress. 

In  this  order  the  processibn  came  over  to  Baltimore,  where 
18  was  met  by  a  great  concourse  of  the  inhabitants,  who  ac- 
companied It  to  the  place  of  interment,  and  the  following  is 
the  official  report  of  the  proceedings  here. 

"FUNERAL  OF  MR.  M'KIM. 
"  The  body  of  Mr.  M'Kim  arrived  at  the  Mount  Clare  depftt  yesterday 

...I'L^*!  ™®*  "*  the  <!epdt  by  an  immense  concourse  of  people,  wI.o 
attended  It  in  procession  to  the  burial-ground  belonging  to  the  comrre- 
gation  attachecf  to  St.  Paul's  Chureh,  wlhere  it  was  interred.  The  S 
«f  }ll  T*"?^  churches  were  tolled  during  the  procession,  and  the  flags 
rJni  »i,fTP'"*mu**/l**"**"^  P""'**'  P'**'^^  displayed  at  half-mast  du- 
ring  the  day.    The  foUowing  was  the  order  observed  in  the  procesoion : 

Mayor  and  City  Council  of  Baltimore. 

Officers  of  the  Corporation. 

Reverend  Clergy. 


rCNBRAL  CEREMONIES. — PUBLIC    CHARACTER.  293 

Members  of  the  State  Legislature. 

Judges  and  Officers  of  Circuit  Court,  U.  S. 

Judges  and  Officers  of  Baltimore  County  Court.  - 

Judges  and  Officers  of  Baltimore  City  Court. 

Judges  and  Officers  of  the  Orphan's  Court. 

Members  of  the  Bar. 

Gentlemen  of  the  Faculty. 

Officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy. 

Civil  Officers  of  the  United  States. 

Civil  Officers  of  the  State  of  Maryland. 

Foreign  Consuls. 

Strangers. 

Masters  of  Vessels  and  Seamen. 

Citizens. 

"On  arriving  at  the  depdt,  the  procession  halted  and  formed  a  line  on 
each  side  of  the  road,  facing  inward.  The  committee  of  Congress  and 
other  members  of  the  government  who  accompanied  the  corpse,  with 
the  relatives  of  the  deceased,  passed  through  the  procession,  which  im< 
mediately  followed  them  in  reversed  order. 

"At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremonies,  an  invitation  was  given  frow 
the  mayor  to  the  members  of  Congress  to  remain  and  partake  of  sprtie 
refreshments,  which  was  declined  by  Mr.  Adams  on  behalf  of  thf  com- 
mittee of  arrangements,  in  consequence  of  their  desire  to  return  imme- 
diately to  Washington."  . 

Though  Mr.  M'Kim  was  a  supporter  of  th«  present  ad- 
ministration, and  therefore  called  a  Jackso^  or  Van  Buren 
man — and,  as  such,  opposed  by  all  the  "Whigs,  who  here,  as 
elsewhere  throughout  America,  includ*  nearly  all  the  wealthy 
mercantile  classes — yet  all  parties'  joined  in  showing  re- 
spect for  his  character  in  this  la»<  act  of  consigning  his  re- 
mains to  the  tomb,     t  never  raraemher  to  have  seen  in  any 
country  more  general  or  «pparently  more  sincere  sorrow 
evinced  at  the  loss  of  anr  public  man,  than  in  the  present  in- 
stance of  the  unaffe«^ed  mourning  for  Mr.  M'Kim.     The 
worth  of  his  char»cter — though  he  was  denounced  by  his 
political  opponents  while  living  as  a  "  Loco  Foco,"  a  term 
equivalent  to,*' Ultra  Radical"  in  England — and  the  real  na- 
ture of  his  services,  may  be  judged  of  by  the  following  testj. 
mony,  eken  by  one  of  the  most  influential  of  the  Whig  pa- 
pers, vnich  constantly  opposed  his  politics.     It  is  from  the 
«  Brftimore  American"  of  April  3,  1838. 

"THE  DEATH  OF  MB.  M'KIM. 

"Our  form  was  opened  on  Sunday  night,  after  the  arrival  of  the  cars 
from  Washington,  for  the  purpose  of  announcing  to  our  readers,  in  yes- 
terday morning's  paper,  the  melancholy  intelligence  of  the  death  of  our 
late  representative  m  Congress,  the  Hon.  Isaac  M'Kira.  In  referring 
to  the  demise  of  this  valued  citizen  and  estimable  man,  we  feel  that 
something  far  beyond  the  ordinary  expression  >of  regret  is  due  to  the 
memory  of  one  who,  while  living,  discharged  the  duties  devolving  uDon 
him  with  a  propriety  aud  correctness  that  must  long  be  remembered. 


394 


BALTIMORE. 


"Whether  we  regard  him  in  the  relations  of  social  life,  or  observe  his 
course  throughout  his  business  transactiuns,  as  one  of  the  most  enter- 
'  rising  and  wealthy  merchants  of  our  city,  we  find  him  alike  distin- 
guished for  kindness  and  urbanity  of  deportment  and  liberality  of  spirit. 
"  Unlike  many  men— who,  after  having  acquired  riches  by  perseve- 
rance and  activity,  withdraw  themselves  from  the  busy  pursuits  of  the 
world,  and  are  contented  to  spend  the  residue  of  their  lives  in  ease  and 
quiet — Mr.  M'Kim  continued  to  make  his  immense  fortune  the  means  of 
affording  support,  in  an  extended  degree,  to  honest  industry.  When,  so 
far  as  he  was  personally  concerned,  all  motives  for  active  exertion  must 
have  been  taken  away,  this  valuable  citizen  persevered  in  his  praisewor- 
thy course  of  furnishing  employment  to  hundreds  of  his  townsmen, 
through  the  various  operations  of  manufactures  and  commerce,  kept  in 
steady  motion  by  his  capital. 

"  As  a  ship-owner,  the  commercial  marine  of  Baltimore  is  particularly 
indebted  to  him  for  the  liberality  displayed  in  engaging  the  services  of 
those  among  her  naval  architects  who  were  conspicuous  for  talent,  and 
by  suggesting  to  them  such  judicious  improvements  as  were  the  results 
of  his  own  experience,  enabling  them  to  produce  some  of  the  most  per- 
fect models  in  ship-building  of  which  our  city  can  boast.  As  a  manu- 
I»cturer,his  services  have  not  been  less  important,  through  the  facilities 
afiovded  by  his  ample  means  in  introducing  the  preparation  of  articles 
for  w>4ch  we  otherwise  would  have  remained  tributary  to  other  places. 
In  pwnt  of  active  beneficence  and  open-handed  charity,  few  persons 
have  surpassed  Mr.  M'Kim.  As  an  instance  of  his  weU-directed  munif- 
icence, we  w^uld  point  to  the  beautifully  classic  building  for  a  free- 
school,  erected  »„  ^ast  Baltimore-street  at  his  own  expense,  and,  it  is 
believed,  liberally  xndowed  by  him.  It  is  by  this  and  similar  acts  that 
Mr.  M'Kim  has  left  behind  him  a  fond  and  lasting  esUmation  among  his 
fellow-citizens,  many  oi^hom,  at  present  young,  will,  when  their  heads 
shall  have  been  sdvered  o*,r  by  the  rosts  of  agl,  remember  with  hean! 

fh^^giloreducafJir''''^^*"^*'^  '^'^''°«-  ''-»°-<*  "P-  *- 
"For  many  years  past  Mr.  M'lWm  represented  the  City  of  Baltimore 
in  Congress,  and  to  tlie  extent  of  hiNability  exerted  himself  in  the  pr" 
motion  of  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  v^est  interests  of  this  metropJli* 
Whatever  feelings  may  have  been  produced  by  party  asperity  in  referl 
ence  to  his  views  of  national  measures,  th«-,e  sentiments  were  never 
permitted  to  invade  the  sanctity  of  the  private  stations  in  which,  to  the 
end  of  his  life,  he  contmued  to  possess  the  warm  Section  and  unlimited 
confidence  of  all  who  enjoyed  his  friendship.  uumuncu 

"As  a  token  of  respect  and  indication  of  the  regret  ofK;-  feiinkr  «iti 
zens  generally,  and  particularly  the  commercial  portio,  nf  them  th« 
flags  of  the  shipping  in  port,  and  all  the  pubUc  places,  wer^durinp'vea 
terday  displayed  at  half-mast,  and  will,  it  is  understood,  coihmnp  tn  J^ 
so  throughout  this  day."  ^"®  ^°  °^ 

The  two  opposing  candidates  named  by  the  respective 
parties  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  representation  occasioned 
by  the  death  of  Mr.  M'Kim  were,  for  the  Whigs,  Mr.  John 
P.  Kennedy,  a  lawyer  well  known  in  England  as  the  au- 
thor of  "  Swallow  Barn"  and  "  Horse-shoe  Robinson,"  and 
on  the  part  of  the  Democrats,  General  W.  H.  Marriott 
both  men  of  good  talents  and  high  respectability ;  for  uni- 
versal suffrage  does  not  lead  here,  any  more  than  it  would 


NBW8PAPKRS. 


295 


do  elsewhere,  to  the  selection  of  representatives  from  anv 
other  class  than  that  which  the  voters  believe  to  be  a  much 
higher  one  than  the  average  of  their  own. 

Of  newspapers  in  Baltimore  there  is  no  deficiency.  There 

oaL  sel?'.  «t    ««P"blican,  Democrat;  and  the  Sun  (a 
paper  sellmg  at  one  cent,  or  about  a  halfpenny  English 
per  copy,  and  issumg  12,000  daily),  neutral  ;^n7two  even- 
mg  daily  papers,  the  Patriot,  ^hig,  and  the  Tr^nscHnt 
neutral.     In  addition  to  this,  there  ^re  thrt  weekly  Ss' 
chiefly  literary :  the  Athen^um  and  Visitor    the  kZI' 
scope,  and  the  Monument.     These  iJ  suppW  the  place  of 
larger  periodicals ;  and  in  the  Athen^um  of 7prU  the  who?e 

n^^^SSMS^Iar---^ 

rhe  character  of  the  newspapers  of  Baltimore  does  not 
differ  much  from  those  of  New-York     Th^  T.,!    i 
appear  to  give,  honestly,  f->  a"nd  impartTal^^^^^^^^^^^ 

on  the  other  h/nd,  can  nei?her  ofthem  be  JetS  on^  ^E 
instance,  it  may  be  mentioned  that,  Iringour  s^ai  htr.  . 

Te  "orots^rthe  t  ^"  f'^r^"*  sIi:t^:cj:;^i 

tl^ree  oTCr  hl?%  ^^'^'y  ^^'  ^*  ™  attended  by 
rnon?f  I/T  ^""**'«^  persons,  aiid  the  proceeding  was  a 
manifest  faUure,  as  more  than  as  m^y  thoSsandsTsualirat! 
tend  such  meetings;  and  the  evenTag  was  fine  S  e/erv 

p^t\fon^'/a\rrhart"^tT^^^^  knrn'^^'4'  T 

some,  at  least,  were  oppotf  to  ^heX^^'LT  aJi  Z 

LThertnT""'^  '^  ""  P^'^^^     Thi  Republf^^^ 
sLtement  o?V.T  ""^^^^d^y  ^th  a  most  exaggerated 

'^f:^:\:il^^^^^  il^aTtiL^^^s^ 

s  o^r  XtThar  ^y  *^^-h«l' crmL:??;:  %?i:?t 

hf  nZ  Yorl  Ln  P^JT'^y  ^^^««"  °n  this  subject  of 
Sid  it  t7Jont^„?r'  ^  ^^^  sometimes  hoped  that  I  should 
S  would  iotl'  °'  ^*  ^^^'  '^^'  *^«  J«"™al«  of  other 
tSsTateme^ts      11?/?'^."^^  P"*'«^  «»d  one-sided  in 

rnn^a'il  r"  N--    V    1.^"^'  '"  "'^  "^^^^«  ^»^^^h  has  just 
_^r„a._  m  a  .^cw.York  paper,  and  has  been  transferred 


♦ 


296 


BALTIMORE. 


to  the  columns  of  the  neutral  journal  here,  that  this  truth  is 
beginning  to  make  an  impression  even  in  the  city  where  the 
evil  is  most  conspicuous.  Whether  the  calm  exposure  of 
this  practice,  in  the  candid  spirit  in  which  it  is  done,  will 
lead  to  a  correction  of  the  evil,  time  alone  will  show;  but 
it  is  an  evil  of  great  magnitude,  and  one  that  needs  speedy 
and  effective  correction.  The  following  is  the  article  re- 
ferred to : 

The  following  sensible  remarks  on  the  practice  of  Washington  letter- 
writers,  of  eulogizing,  without  discrimination,  their  political  friends,  and 
heaping  anathemas  upon  their  opponents,  are  from  the  New- York  Com- 
mercial Advertiser.  The  practice  is  in  the  highest  degree  reprehensible, 
and  we  are  glad  to  see  that  the  political  press  is  beginning  to  think  so. 

"  The  greatest  fault  on  the  part  of  the  correspondents  of  the  press  at 
Washington,  in  our  opinion,  is  to  be  found  in  the  practice  of  bestowing 
universal  praise  and  universal  disparagement  upon  their  political  friends 
on  one  hand  and  their  opponents  on  the  other.  We  have  inveighed 
against  this  practice  of  indiscriminate  eulogy  or  praise  in  our  private 
correspondence,  and  in  conversations  with  various  writers  for  the  press ; 
but  the  evil  exists— to  a  much  less  degree,  however,  in  regard  to  our 
own  correspondence  than  in  relation  to  that  of  most  other  journals  on 
either  side  of  the  house. 

"The  natural  consequence  of  these  partial  reports  is  to  shake' the 
confidence  of  the  public  in  the  general  accuracy  and  tone  of  the  Wash- 
ington letter-writers.  Not,  in  our  opinion,  that  they  wilfully  misrepre- 
sent ;  but  they  allow  their  feelinflS,  their  partialities,  and  their  animosi- 
ties too  frequently  to  mislead  iheir  judgments.  Hence,  whenever  a 
leading  Whig  member  of  either  house  lays  himself  out  in  a  set  speech 
upon  a  great  subject,  we  are  quite  sure  of  hearing  that  it  is  the  ablest 
and  most  eloquent  speech  ever  delivered.  All  his  opponents  who  have 
spoken  before  him  have  been/bf  course  overthrown,  used  up,  and  anni- 
hilated ;  and  all  who  attempf  to  answer  him  come  off  with  miserable 
failures.  On  the  other  hand— to  judge  from  the  correspondents  of  the 
Evening  Post,  and  of  the  otier  Post  erected  in  Boston,  the  editorials  of 
the  Globe,  and  the  general  (forrespondence  of  '  the  party'— there  is  nei- 
ther statesman  nor  orator  qt  Washington  save  those  in  the  ranks  of  the 
administration.  Messrs.  Wright,  Niles,  and  Benton,  according  to  these 
authorities,  are  the  most  aMe  and  profound  men  in  the  Senate,  and  Mr. 
Cambreleng  the  most  eloquent  and  sagacious  statesman  in  the  House. 

"  We  might  illustrate  these  positions  by  examples  at  length,  were  it 
necessary.  For  instance,  Mr.  Clay's  speech  in  reply  to  Mr.  Calhoun, 
the  other  day,  was  extolled  by  our  <'riends  as  almost  transcending  hu- 
man effort ;  and,  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  Whig  letter-writers,  Mr. 
Calhoun  was  utterly  prostrated,  overthrown,  torn  to  tatters,  and  used 
entirely  up.  Now  we  know  the  great  powers  of  Mr.  Clay  as  a  clear  lo- 
gician and  as  a  most  eloquent  rhetorician.  He  had,  moreover,  the  right 
side  of  the  question,  and  we  doubt  not  that  he  was  victorious  in  the  ar- 
gument. But— Mr.  Calhoun  used  up !  We  know  that  gentleman  too 
well  to  believe  it.  He  may  use  himself  up,  politically,  by  his  wayward- 
ness, and  by  pursuing  the  winding  mazes  of  metaphysical  abstractions. 
But  a  man  of  his  splendid  intellectual  faculties,  of  his  vast  and  varied 
learning,  of  his  vigour  of  mind,  acuteness  and  power  in  debate,  is  not  so 
easily  '  used  up,'  even  by  such  a  man  as  Henry  Clay. 

•'These  things  ought  not  so  to  be=    The  correspondente  of  the  press 


EDITORUL   QUAINTNESS. 


897 


at  the  seat  of  government  should  exhibit  more  of  candour  on  both  sides 
h^^r''  "^  accustomed  to  see.  They  should  speak  truly  and  justly 
both  of  men  and  things ;  avoidmg  the  infliction  of  unnecessary  pain  upon 
the  feehngs  of  any  one,  and  also  refraining  from  the  bestowment  of  un- 
merited praise. 

fin-^l"!  i^'f  '«^»t  of 'nd««nminate  eulogy  or  condemnation  is  not  con- 

th/  n~..  .k'"'^"^"-  \^  '^  *'"* .',°.°  «°"""o»  »'non?  the  conductors  of 
nr!f^^ I*  themselves.    How  strikingly  is  it  evinced  in  the  notices  of 

«.mn««  .!  ^^^u""  ™««V»^''  l^l'*'«*'7  «  foreigner  at  a  distance  might  weU 
supnose  us  to  be  a  nation  of  Hamiltons,  Sheridans,  and  Cicerosf  a  peo- 
Efrh  T  »».the  possession  of  universal  knowledge,  every  tongue  ti6ped 
pereuasfon."       ®'°*^"*"''®'  '^^  ^""^^y  "P  dropping  with  the  honey  of 

In  the  Baltimore  papers,  as  in  all  the  others  that  I  had 
yet  seen,  there  is  the  same  taste  for  odd  and  quaint  displays 
of  editorial  singularity,  and  especially  respecting  the  difficul- 
ties  of  getting  their  distant  subscribers  to  pay  up  their  ar- 
rears,  an  evil  under  which  most  of  the  newspapers  seem  to 
labour,  and  which  they  evidently  feel  to  be  a  serious  one, 
notwithstanding  all  their  good-humoured  jests  about  it.  The 
following  are  three  specimens,  taken  from  the  Baltimore 
papers  of  April,  1838 : 

lJIo^V^'k"'  So""-K"o"1'.  &c.-The  editor  of  the  Mohawk  Courier,  ad- 
judged to  be  a  bachelor,  hangs  out  the  following  novel  advertisement  in 
bs  paper :  '  For  sa  e  at  this  office,  six  hundred  feet  of  hemlock  bSs 
one  thousand  shingles,  a  quantity  of  leather,  one  keg  of  souSfourfou; 
yards  of  red  flannel,  nine  bushels  of  potatoes,  one  barrel  of  vineSar  twi 

Sl!f  on?^r^V*  ff^rT'^ri;''"?'^  r'^'*'"^  patent  screw  bffitS 
and  one-Cn4.'  all  of  which,  having  been  taken  in  payment  for  the 
Conner,  will  be  sold  *  dog-cheap.' "  f-j' •*«-•"  iwr  mo 

^^iiiT*  IT  *  THoiisAND.-The  Cincinnati  Whig  has  one  subscriber  of 
which  It  has  good  reason  to  be  particularly  proud.  The  case  is  such  a. 
singular  one  that  we  must  give  it  publicity.  It  says, '  He  has  taken  the 
Whig  ever  since  its  commencement,  and  has  invariably  paid  his  sub- 
scription  in  advance  without  waiting  to  be  called  upon.' " 

"  Too  BAD.—The  Mobile  Mercantile  Advertiser  bestows  a  just  meed 
Si  l"^T'  indignation  upon  a  'patron'  of  whom  the  editor  heard  that 
«L?-^  *""  ^?®"  laughing  heartily  over  a  paragraph  in  the  paper  of  a 
previous  morning,  but  who  had  not  paid  his  sublcription  for  twryears  • 
How  could  any  man  enjoy  a  joke  with  such  a  weight  upon  his  ccn- 

The  literary  taste  pf  Baltimore  is  quite  equal  to  that  of 
New- York,  and  its  institutions  as  numerous  and  as  well 
supported  in  proportion  to  the  resf)ective  numbers  of  their 
inhabitants.  Several  literary  and  scientific  societies  which 
existed  under  separate  names  have  recently  associated  them- 
selves  under  one  direction  ;  and  at  the  introductory  address 
delivered  before  this  body  in  the  saloon  of  the  Law-buildings 
during  our  stay  here,  at  which  I  was  present,  a  very  large 
and  attentive  audience  testified  their  deep  interest  in  its 
prosperity.     My  own  courses  of  lectures  were  also  extreme- 

Vol.  I. — P  p 


298 


BALTIMORB. 


ly  well  attended,  and  as  highly  appreciated  and  enjoyed  by 
the  audience  as  in  an/  place  in  which  they  had  yet  been 
delivered.  There  is  an  excellent  public  library,  containing 
upward  of  10,000  volumes,  well  selected,  especially  in  his- 
torical subjects ;  and  its  books  are  in  constant  use  by  the 
numerous  and  intelligent  frequenters  of  this  institution. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CJaMiiication  of  the  yaried  Population  of  the  City.-General  Characteristics-State  of 
society  and  Mannew.-Supposed  Causes  of  the  Refinement  of  Baltimore.— Coexist- 
ence of  depraved  and  abandoned  Classes.— Instances  of  recent  Outrage  and  Cruelty. 
-iMore  disorganized  State  of  Society  in  the  West.— Retrospect  of  Baftimore  Society 
a  Century  ago.-Extensive  use  of  Tobacco  by  the  Marylanders.-Evil  Effecta  of  Ihii 
pernicious  and  offensive  Practice.— Injury  to  Society  by  the  waste  of  Land  and  Capi- 
tal.-Growing  opinion  against  the  Use  of  Tobacco.-Cultivation  of  this  noxious  Weed 

sLf,hJ""M*^''""i"o?  °[','!f  ®°'V"  ^''«f'"''»  *"«•  Maryland.-Popular  Appeal  to 
aonthern  Men  and  Slaveholders.— Inconsistency  of  the  Democratic  Party  on  this 
•ubject— Public  Sale  of  Appropriated  Lands  for  Arrears  of  Taxes.— Singular  names 
oi  many  of  these  Estates— Public  Labours  of  the  Maryland  Leeislaiuie.- Resistrv 
Law.— Impnsonment  for  Debt— Wearing  Weapons.      '  »  "^  "' 

Op  the  100,000  inhabitants  novir  occupying  the  City  of 
Baltimore,  it  is  estimated  that  there  are  about  75,000  whites 
and  25,000  coloured  persons,  these  last  being  in  the  pro- 
portion of  about  5000  slaves  and  20,000  free.     The  slaves 
are  rnostly  in  the  class  of  domestic  servants  and  labourers 
for  hire,  and  their  condition  is  consequently  more  comforta- 
ble than  that  of  field-slaves  employed  in  cultivation.     They 
are  among  the  least  favourable  in  countenance  and  person 
of  any  that  I  had  yet  seen  in  the  United  States ;  but  they 
are  admitted  to  be  orderly  and  unoffending,  though  consid- 
ered to  be  deficient  in  capacity,  and,  therefore,  no  one  ap- 
pears to  apprehend  any  danger  from  them.     There  are  two 
extensive  and  several  smaller  slave-dealers  in  the  city,  the 
two  principal  ones  having  amassed  large  fortunes  in  the 
traffic.     One  of  them  has  the  singularly  appropriate  name 
of  Woolfolk,  it  being  the  wooUy-headed  race,  or  woolfolk,  in 
which  he  deals.*    I  did  not  hear,  however,  of  acts  of  cruelty 
being  attributed  to  any  of  the  dealers  here  beyond  those  in- 
separable from  the  coerced  imprisonment  to  which  they  sub- 
ject their  victims  to  secure  them  from  their  escape  tj  that 
liberty  which  it  is  so  constantly  asserted  they  neither  value 
nor  desire,  but  which,  nevertheless,  it  is  never  deemed  pru- 
dent to  place  within  their  reach. 


CLASSES   OF   SOCIETY. 


S09 


nnh^J       people  of  colour  are  so  far  above  the  condition 
of  the  slaves  in  their  appearance,  dress,  manners,  and  intel 
ligence,  that  it  must  strike  the  most  caJeless  ob^rver  •  kt 
indeed  surprising  that,  in  the  face  of  such  powerfore^idence 

Tere  thrifTe'«^  ^'^'*'^  should  still  iSsist,  as  manrdo 
nere,  tha   if   he  slaves  were  made  free  they  would  become 

anHcToL  i?  tri?'""'  ^"r"  '^  r°"«  *^'  -ost  indS 
!IIi„.    T  ^^"  '*°®-     ^"  Baltimore  there  are  manv 

keeper:  tmde^  ^",  '''^''  ''  «™^"  "^^'-^an  s'  Top! 

keepers,  traders,  and  dealers;  while  the  coloured  women 
who  are  to  be  met  with  in  great  numbers  in  every  str^rar^' 
well  dressed,  orderly,  and  ^respectable,  boVirapSnce 
and  behaviour.  Schools  for  coloured  children  abound^ 
there  are  several  coloured  preachers  •  anH  ?«  «  r°""^  ' 
.h..  I  could  learn  were  .he  rented^eiVrmpS 
m  any  of  the  riots  and  mobs  by  which  Baliimo,.  k?  i? 
so  often  agitated;  these  being  iL:rtbV^^'™7„,^»;,*t:3 

In  the  white  population,  there  is  a  great  admixture  both 
of  races,  occupations,  and  conditions.^  The^atTu'lk  of 
the  labourmg  classes  are  Irish  or  German,  SiginaUy  im- 
ported  as  emigrants,  with  a  union  of  Americans  and  Z 
descendants  of  all  three.  They  are  in  ^ZarunVucltld 
intemperate  and  turbulent,  and  furnish  the  West  nS 
of  subjects  for  the  asylum,  the  hospitals,  and  the  jails 

The  class  next  above  these  are  the'  small  sVopkeepers 
native  mechanics,  and  tradesmen,  who  appear  to  be  Kr 
informed,  more  industrious,  and  in  better  conditio^  t  to 
circumstances  than  the  same  class  of  persons  irEnZid^ 
labour  of  every  kind  being  more  in  demand,  and  bettef  paid' 

mo'reT^ear  '"'"'""^  '""«  "''"  abSTai'd' 

The  large  shopkeepers,  or  storekeepers,  as  thev  are  h*»r«. 

o?  ioo'd'::  "^""^  "^  *;"^  °P"^^»^'  -'™°«^  aU  inSgent,  and 
of  good  manners ;  and  intercourse  .vith  them  on  matters  of 

SirandUrtT'^'^'T"^^'  ^'°™  '"^^  frankne^rcorcS^ 
ality,  and  perfect  freedom  from  anything  like  over-reachinl 

rhadtfbltn^J^S  ^i^--'^?^ 


A.  ta.  yaxivvu,  parties  to  which  wc  were  invited'd'uring 


this. 

r 

onr 


300 


BALTIMORS. 


Stay ;  and  we  were  uniformly  impressed,  after  leaving  them, 
with  the  feeling  that  they  were  among  the  most  agreeable 
that  we  had  experienced  in  the  country. 

The  ladies  of  Baltimore  enjoy  a  high  reputation  through- 
out the  Union  for  their  personal  beauty,  and  this  reputation 
is  well  founded.  There  are  few,  if  any,  cities  in  Europe  that 
could  produce  so  many  handsome  women,  out  of  such  a 
population  as  this ;  pleasing  in  person,  graceful  in  carriage, 
intelligent,  well  bred,  cordial  in  manners,  and,  in  every 
sense  of  the  term,  "  ladylike"  in  accomplishments  and  be- 
haviour. The  men,  too,  struck  us  as  much  more  generally 
well  informed  than  the  same  class  of  persons  we  had  seen 
elsewhere  in  the  country ;  of  handsome  countenances,  better 
dressed,  and  more  '*  gentlemanlike"  in  their  whole  deport- 
ment. 

This  is  accounted  for  in  different  ways  by  different  indi- 
viduals ;  but  here  the  observation  generally  is,  that  this  su- 
periority of  appearance,  intelligence,  and  manners  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  South  in  contrast  to  the  North ;  and  that 
Baltimore,  from  its  position  and  its  trade,  belongs  to  the 
South,  and  has  an  affinity  with  it  in  its  interest  and  its  tastes. 
But  this  in  reality  leaves  the  question  just  where  it  was,  and 
the  inquiry  still  presents  itself,  Why  is  it  that  the  South  pos- 
sesses this  superiority  ? 

For  my  own  part,  I  am  inclined  to  attribute  the  elegance 
and  refinement  which  characterizes  the  society  of  the  higher 
circles  of  Baltimore  to  the  influences  shed  upon  the  exist- 
ing generation  by  the  character  and  condition  of  those  who 
were  its  founders. 

The  two  hundred  of  the  Catholic  nobility  and  gentry  who 
came  out  under  the  patronage  of  Cecilius,  the  second  Lord 
Baltimore,  under  the  personal  protection  of  his  brother 
Leonard  Calvert,  and  the  number  of  persons  of  rank,  for- 
tune, and  education  of  the  same  faith  who  subsequently 
joined  them  in  their  refuge  from  religious  persecution  at 
home,  sowed  the  first  seeds  of  the  fruit  which  their  pos- 
terity  now  bears ;  and  the  easy  circumstances  in  which  the 
early  settlers  were  soon  placed  rendering  it  unnecessary 
either  to  toil  very  hard  or  to  struggle  against  many  diffi- 
culties, botl»  of  which  were  the  lot  of  the  pilgrim  fathers  of 
the  North,  would  contribute  largely  to  presca-ve  that  grace 
and  urbanity  which  afRuence  and  even  competency  is  sure 
to  generate  and  preserve.     Add  to  this,  instead  of  the  rigid 
asperity  by  which  the  Puritans  of  the  North  were  charac- 
terized, the  first  Catholic  setders  of  MnrvlAnH  wam  liKoral 


I 

■A»LV   INrU7BK0Bf. OUTRAOCI.  301 

in  their  notions  both  of  religion  and  politics,  were  free  and 
easy  in  their  own  mode  of  living,  and  tolerant  towards  the 
opinions  and  manners  of  others. 

The  influx  o(  the  wealthy  and  accomplished  colonists  of 
St.  Domingo,  who  took  refuge  here  at  the  time  of  the  revo- 
lution  in. that  island,  and  who  brought  with  them  the  gen- 
erosity of  colonial  hospitality,  and  the  ease  and  grace  of 
French  manners,  served  no  doubt  to  give  a  new  infusion  of 
these  qualities  into  the  society  of  Baltimore ;  and  the  joint 
influences  of  these  two  causes  being  again  strengthened  by 
the  effect  of  the  Catholic  religion  and  the  existence  of  sla- 
very—both of  these  having  a  tendency  to  make  men  less 
anxious  about  the  future,  and  more  disposed  to  enjoy  the 
present — account  sufficiently,  to  my  mind  at  least,  for  the 
elegance,  ease,  and  agreeable  manners  which  characterize 
the  best  society  of  Baltimore,  and  make  their  social  parties 
the  most  cordial,  and  their  gayer  soiries  the  most  agreeable 
that  can  be  enjoyed. 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  Baltimore  is  en- 
tirely free  from  that  admixture  of  evil  which  seems  in  all 
communities  to  be  infused,  in  greater  or  lesser  degrees,  with 
the  good.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  are  men  of  abandoned  char- 
acters and  dissipated  habits,  who  obtain  their  subsistence  by 
preying  on  their  more  industrious  fellow-citizens,  and  who 
squander  what  they  obtain  in  the  most  vicious  indulgences, 
as  well  as  others  who  are  guilty  of  the  grossest  cruelty  and 
tyranny  towards  those  who  are  in  their  power.  The  follow- 
ing instances  are  selected  from  many  reported  in  the  Balti- 
more  papers  of  April,  1838. 

"  Brutal  OuTRAOB.— Our  city  is  infested,  disgraced,  by  a  gang  of  mf. 
nans,  who,  m  defiance  of  every  sense  of  shame,  promenade  the  streets 
m  company  with  the  most  abandoned  of  the  other  sex,  and  at  night 
prowl  about,  insulting  decent  females,  and,  like  assassins,  waylayTiui 
peaceable  citizens.  They  are  dressed  like  gentlemen,  and  profew  to  be 
men  of  honour ;  but  a  chimney-sweep  has  more  gentility,  and  a  foot- 
pad 18  a  better  man.  Three  scoundrels,  who,  if  they  are  not  of  this 
class,  are  fully  entitled  to  rank  among  their  number,  rushed  into  the 
store  of  a  highly  reppectable  citizen  m  Market-street  on  Wednesday 
night,  and,  without  cause  or  provocation,  one  of  them  struck  him  a  >^ 
vere  blow  in  the  face.  The  gallant  youths  then  ran  off,  we  presume  to 
some  of  their  haunts,  to  entertain  their  companions  in  iniquity  with  a 
description  of  their  exploits.  Measures  have  been  taken  for  the  arrest 
of  these  miscreants,  when  we  hope  our  citizens  will  be  shown  that  their 
lives  and  property  will  be  protected  by  the  /aw,. without  having  recourse 
to  those  means  of  defence  which  heaven  and  the  laws  of  nature  au- 
thonze  them  to  use  when  the  ministers  of  the  law  fail  to  do  their  duty 

"  IMPUDBMT  Villains.— One  day  last  week  three  well-dressed  fellows 

went  intn  a  hat  nt/tm  in  Proi»  of..oot   ""^  «.».<x_j-j  a-  ■ ...    .. 

26 


902 


BALTIMOIUI. 


proprietor  for  a  ],at  for  eioh  of  th«m     TTlmv  «..»  ...     . . 

ihose  of  the  latest  fashion,  and  one  of  them  wla^lTo  !?^".  '"I?^  ^** 
But  no  money  was  forthcomlnir  •  twa  ntthL  *J!f.  T?  rf'*''  *"^  *  "P- 
ouf  of  the  8tQre  with  the  n"w?MtZ  o„  J^J^  '*«''^>«'-atel.v  Walked 
timated  the  probabSi  y  oThi.  p'iy  '  Vr  ^''^l^  r'"'"  »'"«  '»'««»J"- 
through  the  head  of  the  shop  na5?f  he  i?temni«5  .^  K  P""'u"<^  *  ''"" 
then  taking  out  a  fifty-cent  notrtend«rTi?^f^i?  ^  '^"'1°*'  *''«'";  ""^^ 
ttme  he  h^  lost  in  taSi  rfhem      B«fo«  ?k^'?['\*»  'i"  ""''*•  '""^  »he 

/^m  his  astonishmen   ifheVeSnte,^  theS^^^^^^^  '■"''°^«'"'«* 

*Kht.    Another  robb^rv  «imi  -, vl  .i     7'  "®  worthy  tno  were  out  of 

S^arket-stSt' TwS'iXhToia  y dtS°S^^^^^^  "*"" l^^.l" 
■tore,  where  there  was  no  onrbuf  a  ladTfn  a^rendami"  h-T  T^?^}'' 
jood-moming.  selected  two  umbrellas  bSe  her  fare w^rnm:^^,^*''^ 
departure,  but  never  mentioned  anythina  about  ih«^r* «"  i*""    *1H' 

But  even  these  cases  are  as  nothing  v.}..,i  compared  with 
the  accoiints  that  are  published  almost  daily  7  atrocmis 
committed  m  the  newly-settled  states  of  the  South  and  the 
West  where  the  mseeurity  of  person  seems  much  in-eater 
than  the  insecurity  of  property,  and  v.here  outrages  arf  com 
initted  with  impunity.  The  foUowing  are  all  S  the  bS" 
timore  newspapers  of  the  same  day,  April  10,  1838  : 

M;;jrr.Ste'ix!rth'i's  v^^^^^^       t^  /-"•»'  of 

in  that  villaee  was  foirihlv  «n?2iS  a  *®  "'  ^^^  Presbyterian  Church 
committed  ?uch^  bSSdig  Lm^^C  "w  .T I  *'«P'^'J»»''>n«  wer! 
pit.  and  some  other  acts  o^tooTrita^SS^Ziitln'!!'"^^^  "V"  P".^* 
publicly  mentioned  The  tni«f««  «f  .V!^i.  ^"J" *f  *  character  to  be 
of  one^hundred  d?l  ars  and^hp  tn»n^«  ^^H""^  **r«  o«"«'-«d  «  "ward 

guilty  of  any  atrocify  "      ^^  lestructives  m  that  town  capable  of  being 

^y^I^rb^'Z^iZ'^^li^'JZiZ'^'  "*  WaBhington.  Dallas  coun- 
was  kiUed.  The  dTfficuUyTose  ™f,?  Sl!I"'f ' '.'?  ''%''  ""«  "^  *em 
peace.  Wm.  Womack  mvb  hf,  h^^u^  u  *'®*'*'0"  ^^  Justice  of  the 
with  a  club.  whenThe  ia&rew  a  oSfcl  ?n J^^K^f l^^^  i'^^"^  "<>*« 
has  been  examined  and  di  "h^  "^  ^  ''*°^  ^"^  ''«'«^-    HenT 

Atal  instrument  the  bowie-knife  Xch  ^nnL?^*^Tv*"' ™»<'«  ^ythat 
kours.    The  second  was  shS  hJ  t^e  Sde  «nH^J",:??**l.'»  ^'^"t  fi^een 
kiUed  had  not  the  ball  paXtost  S  ''"-»  ^  "^^ 
The  third  received  a?hofrtVnecf,Sri5',"^    ?i"''*"?  his  arm. 
covery.    The  fourth  esca^d  u„C  » '^^  "°*  ^««  ^'^^out  Sope  of  re- 

ous  Sair'^Stciirdtte^^^^^^^^^  of  a  murfer- 

that  two  fatal  encotmters  t^  pWaf  MiE  ?f l^?t"«ky :  '  We  learn 
IB  this  State,  on  Friday  laS?  '^C  tre' wT i'  SiMllrti' 


BOROSR   CRUMBS.— RSTROtPBCT. 


303 


Rlv*  T9,  a  lawyer,  and  Mr.  Ferguiion,  a  physician,  in  which  the  latter  waa 
worsted.  Shortly  afterward,  FVrguson,  bun  ig  with  the  mortification 
of  defeat,  pi  ..  ired  a  rifle  and  nhot  Rivf'radtn  ;  and  thereupon  a  brother 
oi  Rivers  armed  hirrnelf  with  another  rifle,  sought  Ferguson  out,  and, 
after  wounding  him  severely  vrith  a  rifle-shot,  rushed  upon  him  with  a 
pistol  and  despatched  him  at  oner  We  do  not  Uiarn  whether  any  judi- 
cial procci  dings  have  been  instituted  In  consequence  of  these  bUjodv 
transactions."^  ' 

"  The  St.  Louis  Bulletin  furnishes  another  addition  to  this  bloody  cat- 
alogue :  '  Att<uainatim.—We  regret  to  harn  from  a  traveller  that  a  n^  r- 
der  was  recently  committed  at  Knoxvi.ie,  Illinois,  undr-  thf:  followiof 
mysterious  circumstances.  Two  citizens  of  the  plat  t  Mr.  Osborne 
and  Dr.  Dalton— were  conversing  in  the  street  opposite  the  tavern,  when 
a  gun  was  discharged  from  a  window  of  the  building,  and  two  b  Is  en> 
tercd  Dalton's  bacli  below  the  shoulder.  He  exclaimed 'I  am  deai  nd 
immediately  expired.  No  one  witnessed  the  dischurge  of  t?  <«  gui  >ut 
suspicion  rests  upon  a  young  man  who  came  running  fro  n  the  t.  ra 
immediately  after  the  occurrence ;  he  has  been  apprehen  d.  Kt  i-t 
says  that  the  murdered  man  had  some  tinu;  previous  offeidd  an  inn  4. 
nity  to  a  sister  of  the  suspected  imi  vidual.  There  was  a  strong  seusa- 
tion  in  the  village  upon  the  subject.  " 

These  are  the  crimes  of  bt  cder  countries  and  unsettle 
territories,  and  will,  it  is  hope  1,  gradually  diminish  befor 
the  influence  of  numbers,  of  law  and  of  public  opinion  ;  but 
as  the  cities  of  the  seacoast  h;  ve  all  passed  through  this 
state  of  preparation  and  transitii  1,  and  have  now  been  un- 
der the  influence  of  law  and  ordt  r  for  many  years,  it  is  not 
just  to  institute  a  comparison  bet^  een  them  without  taking 
this  difference  of  their  circumstances  into  consideration.  As 
It  respects  Baltimore,  however,  it  appears  from  the  very  first 
to  have  been  peopled  by  a  race  ths  t  never  had  this  transi- 
tion-state to  pass  through,  having  bi  n  settled  by  gentlemen 
originally,  and  continuing  always  to  nave  a  large  infusion  of 
elegant  and  even  courtly  manners  ai  d  usages  among  its  in- 
habitants.  In  a  retrospect  taken  by  )ne  of  the  octogenari« 
ans  of  the  city,  who  retains  a  vivid  ret  >llection  of  his  young- 
er days,  and  carries  about  in  his  cos  ume  and  appearance 
the  relics  of  "  the  olden  time,"  there  i  a  striking  picture  of 
the  society  of  Baltimore  in  its  halcyon  ays  of  fashion  which 
is  worth  repeating.  The  writer  is  spi  king  of  the  avenue 
of  Market-street  just  at  the  terminatioi  of  the  war  of  Inde- 
pendence,  about  sixty  years  ago ;  the  .>ame  avenue  that  ig 
now  called  Baltimore-street,  and  now,  as  well  as  then,  the 
Bond-street  or  Mall  of  its  day.     He  says  : 

"  This  avenue  was  enlivened  with  apparitions  of  grave  matrons  and 
stirring  damsels,  moving  erect  in  stately  transit  like  the  wooden  and 
pasteboard  figures  of  a  puppet-show ;  our  present  randmothers,  arrayed 
in  gorgeous  brocade  and  taffeta,  luxuriantly  displ  yed  over  hoops,  with 
comely  bodices,  laced  around  that  ancient  piece  of  a  rmour,  the  stays,  dls- 
elusing  niost  perilous  waists ;  and  with  bideves  liial  cluug  to  the  aria 


304 


BALTIMORE. 


ffo^.ff  S®  fi'^^'.T''*"  they  took  a  graceAil  leave  in  raffle*  that 
Btood  off  bke  the  feathers  of  a  bantam.  And  such  faces  as  they  bore 
along  wuh  them !  so  rosy,  so  spirited  and  sharp !  with  thehair  all  drawn 

^TJ^^Ta  *  *'"'*^°"  T'^  "  "['***  **»«  eyebrows,  givine  an  amazingly 
fierce  and  suspicious  tone  to  the  countenance,  and  faUing  in  cataracts 
upon  the  shoulders.  Then  they  stepped  away  with  such  a  mincing  gait, 
m  shoes  of  many  colours,  with  formidable  points  to  the  toes,  and  high 
and  tottenng  heels  fancifully  cut  in  wood ;  their  tower-built  hats  gar- 
nished with  taU  feathers,  that  waved  aristocraticallv  backward  at  each 
step,  as  if  they  took  a  pride  in  the  slow  paces  of  the  wearer. 

In  the  train  of  these  goodly  groups  came  the  beaux  and  gallants 
who  upheld  the  chivalry  of  the  age;  cavaliers  of  the  old  school? full  of 
«arch  and  powder :  most  of  them  the  iron  gentlemen  of  the  revolution, 
witn  leather  faces ;  old  campaigners  renowned  for  long  stories,  fresh 
from  the  camp,  with  their  military  erectness  and  dare-devil  swaeeer  • 
proper,  rcystering  blades,  who  had  just  got  out  of  the  harness,  and  be' 
gun  to  affect  the  manners  of  civil  life.  Who  but  they !  jolly  fellows, 
fiery  and  loud,  with  stern  glances  of  the  eye,  and  a  brisk  turn  of  the 
head,  and  a  swash-buckler  strut  of  defiance,  like  gamecocks;  aU  in 
three-cornered  hats,  and  wigs,  and  light-coloured  coats  with  narrow 
capes  and  marvellous  long  back-r,  with  the  pockets  on  each  hip,  and 
smaUclothes  that  hardly  reached  the  knee,  and  striped  stockings,  wUh 
Elii?t",f  "*  *'!«"' »»»o«s,  and  their  long  steel  chains  that  hung  con- 
ceitedly  half  way  to  the  knee,  with  seals  in  the  shape  of  a  sounding. 

S^^Si?  *,  P"Ml-  -^  *^y  ^^•'^^  "^'^^  such  a  stir,  striking  their  canfs 
so  hard  upon  the  pavement  as  to  make  the  little  town  ring  again  I 
defy  aU  modem  coxcombry  to  produce  anything  like  it.  There  was 
such  a  relish  about  it,  and  particularly  when  one  of  these  weather-beat, 
th^it"^'^  accosted  a  lauy  in  the  street,  with  a  bow  that  required  a 
whole  side-paveraent  to  make  it  in,  with  the  scrape  of  his  foot,  and  his 
cane  thrust  with  a  flourish  under  his  left  arm  till  it  projected  behind! 
along  with  his  cue,  like  the  palisades  of  a  chevaux  defrize :  and  nothinir 
could  be  more  piquante  than  the  lady,  as  she  reciprocated  the  salutation 
^"vii  J  ?<>""«*7  *h»*  seemed  to  carry  her  into  the  earth,  and  her  chin 
bnoled  to  her  breast — such  a  volume  of  dignity !" 

Baltimore-street  is  still  the  fashionable  promenade  between 
the  hours  of  four  and  seven,  the  dinner-hour  varying  here 
from  two  to  three  o'clock.     At  this  period  of  the  afternoon, 
when  the  weather  is  fine,  the  ladies  of  Baltimore  may  be 
seen  m  as  great  numbers  as  the  ladies  of  New- York  iu 
the  Broadway  of  that  city  between  twelve  and  two.     The 
street  is  neither  so  long  nor  so  broad,  nor  are  the  shops  so 
elegant  y  furnished,  nor  the  ladies  so  gayly  and  expensively 
apparelled,  m  the  fashionable  promenade  of  Baltimore  as  in 
the  great  capital  of  the  Empire  State,  as  New-York  is  called  • 
but  there  is  much  more  beauty,  and  more  also  of  what  in 
England  would  be  called  "  quiet  elegance,"  unconscious 
and  unobtrusive  grace  and  ease,  which  is  peculiarly  winning 
and  agreeable.     After  dark  the  streets  are  nearly  deserted 
and  at  no  portion  of  the  night  or  day  are  the  eyes  offended, 
the  ear  revolted,  or  the  heart  saddened  by  those  scenes  of 
-_si-Qa_j  ssi.«  \4..7,,'.j^wii0.ti  Kiiiuiig  -.-uuicii,  wiiicn  unhappily 


GENEaAl   D8K   OF   TOBACCO.  305 

^hinhlf""^  nearly  all  the  large  towns  in  England,  but  from 
which  those  of  America  seem  almost  entirely  free. 

As  the  State  of  Maryland  is,  next  to  Virginia,  the  greatest 
morTpTT"^  '*"*"  ^"  *^"  ^"^°"'  *^«  «^P«^t8  from  bX 
m,  Jht  K  "^'"^  '^  *^!!*"*"y  *^°^«  fr°n»  any  other  part,  as 
might  be  expected,  the  use  of  this  weed  is  very  general 
among  its  ma  e  uihabitants.     This  was  the  only  drawS 

^hLZ  P''"''"^"/  .*°  '^^  gentlemanly  appearance  and  pol- 
ished  manners  of  the  more  respectable  cksses ;  but  a  great 
drawback  it  is  In  England  none  chew  tobacco  but  saS 
and  hard-working  labourers,  who  use  it,  as  beer  and  sp  rhs 
are  used,  under  the  delusive  notion  that  it  enables  mTn  to 
sustain  labour  better,  to  resist  the  changes  of  clima™  and 

no'do^r^  f^'T''  ""^  *'^^*'  ^"  of  which  thTwouW 
no  doubt  sustain  better  without  these  stimulants  thar.  wi  h 
them.  Chewing  tobacco  is,  however,  regarded  in  Er-Cd 
as  a  vulgar  habit,  while  smoking  the  same  weed"  tf  l.  "e 
form  of  cigars,  is  deemed  perfectly  genteel.  Here,  ho  •  -ev- 
er, smoking  IS  more  confined  to  the  labouring  classes,  and 
chewing  IS  more  frequent  than  smoking  amon|  the  gentry 

twe"n?y  y^lrs'"      "" '"  '""'  ''°''^^'  ^'""''^  ^''"^  *^"  ^«^ 

nhS!;^^^  •*'!?'  \  """"^^S  '*  ^""^  ^^^«y«  ««emed  to  me  that 
chewing  IS  the  least  offensive  to  others,  because  the  smell 

hnn^  I  f?.°  **""'  "°*  ^"i*^"  surrounding  atmosphere,  and 
hang  about  the  garments  of  those  who  are  in  the  same  ^om. 
pany  as  the  fumes  of  smoking  do.     The  effect  of  chewTg 

Ln  In^'  '  i"^?"°"'  *°  *^^  P^'**^^^  *^"«  »«ing  tobacc! 
w^h  .tK^^'  '^^•^'''  r'^^^""^'  '^  "^"^^  less  compatible 
rfflpt  1/'  occupations  than  chewing,  producing  the  double 
effect  of  making  men  more  indisposed  to  labour,  and  lead- 
mg  to  a  great  waste  of  time,  and  causing  them  also  to  be 

E/ nf  "f  *"  ^""'^' '°  ^^ ''  ™«'«  fr^uently  engeidera 
habits  of  intemperance  and  dissipation.    ^        ^      ^        '" 

Every  mode,  however,  in  which  tobacco  is  used,  appears 

,wll^T  "^^i  ^?  "°*'  T^^  snuff-taker  no  doubt  in- 
stroys  the  clearness  and  intonation  of  the  voice,  besides 
IIZZ  %r^u^'^''  'T'  <*i«^g'eeable  appearances  to  the 
C^Z'  „  ^^^.^^^y"^'  of  tobacco  also  injures  his  stomach 
by  the  unavoidable  escape  into  it  of  some  portion  of  its 
acnd  poison ;  and  though  his  voice  is  not  affected  by  it,  yet 
the  roiling  ouid.  nassincr  f^^r^  c.-^^  *^  _-j-  .u^  .  •',.  '•'  / 
+1 .   -^  ;,  , ,'  *" — -— o  '••-'"  i^ivto  tw  31UC,  lau  ejection  of 

VorriQ'^'  ^"^*^«'^Pl«««Wng  the  exhausted  portion 


d06 


BALTIMORE. 


of  the  weed  with  a  new  supply,  are  all  most  offensive  to 
others.  The  smoker  of  tobacco,  on  the  other  hand,  makes 
his  own  person  and  clothes  smell  so  disagreeably,  and  so 
taints  the  whole^tmosphere  of  the  house  in  which  he  indul- 
ges, that  it  is  disagreeable  to  approach  him  or  to  enter  his 
dwelling ;  while  the  injury  done  to  his  healthy  appetite  and 
digestion,  and  the  bad  habits  of  indolence  and  drinking  con- 
tracted by  smoking,  make  this  practice,  I  think,  the  most  in- 
jurious  to  individuals  and  to  society  of  all  the  three  modes  in 
which  tobacco  is  consumed. 

It  is  melancholy  indeed  to  reflect  on  the  misappropriation 
of  millions  of  acres  of  valuable  soil,  of  the  misapplication  of 
millions  of  capital,  and  the  perfect  waste  of  millions  of  la- 
bour, on  the  cultivation  of  a  weed  which  does  no  one  any 
good,  but  is  either  useless  or  mischievous  as  an  article  of 
human  consumption  in  every  form ;  and  it  would  be  a  great 
blessing  to  see  all  this  soil,  capital,  ana  labour  devoted  to 
the  production  of  wholesome  food  and  raiment  for  man,  or 
such  other  articles  of  growth  as  would  at  least  have  utility 
and  innocence  to  recommend  them. 

There  seems  a  growing  feeling  among  the  higher  classes 
of  the  population  against  the  use  of  tobacco  in  any  shape, 
and  the  ladies  especially  express  this  feeling  without  reserve. 
The  interests  involved  in  the  culture  and  traffic  are  too  great 
to  be  easily  destroyed  at  once  ;  but  there  will,  no  doubt,  be 
a  gradual  decline  in  the  trade,  as  public  opinion  produces  a 
gradual  diminution  in  the  use.  Now  and  then  attention  is 
mdireotly  drawn  to  the  subject,  in  articles  published  in  the 
newspapers ;  and  the  following,  which  originally  appeared 
m  the  Alexandria  Gazette  (Alexandria  being  a  port  of  Vir- 
ginia, the  first  of  the  tobacco-growing  slates,  and  was  then 
copied  into  a  Baltimore  paper,  the  second  of  the  tobacco- 
growing  states),  is  Avorth  transcribing,  for  the  allusions  it  con- 
tains on  this  subject. 

"  THE  GENTLEMAN  AT  CHURCH 
''  Blay  be  known  by  the  following  marks : 

"  1.  Comes  in  good  season,  so  as  neither  to  interrupt  the  pastor  nor 
the  congregation  by  a  late  arrival.  v        y     y 

*yl  ?,*-»•  ®*  ?°*  ^**?P  HP**"*  ^?  '*«?*  <>*■  >n  ^he  fwrtico,  either  to  gaze  at 
tne  ladws,  salute  fnends,  or  display  his  colloquial  powers. 

u^hL^S^'Jf  *"*^,  "'*"'^  *»^  ^^^  gently,  and  walks  deliberately  and 
Krl'^J?^  ^*  f^^^  °'  ^"^'y  '*""'  *'«'  ?«*»  *"8  seat  as  quietly,  and 
y.      m°?  *'  ^^"^  V^ogXe  remove  as  possible. 

int«*thJoS!  S?  P'**^  ®'*^®''  y^J^^  ^"'^^  P*"^  of  the  seat,  or  steps  out 
uito  the  aisle  when  any  one  wishes  to  pass  in,  and  never  thinks  ofsuch 
a  thmg  as  makuig  people  crowd  past  him  while  keeping  his  place  in  the 


CHEWING  AND  SMOKING. 


307 


"6.  Never  thinis  of  defiling  the  house  of  God  teith  tobacco-amttU  nr  im. 
noy^r^  those  u,ho  sit  near  A,m\  cheu,ing  Lt  nauTeZ^TediTcM 

7.  Never,  unless  in  case  of  iUnesl,  gets  up  or  gS  out  durTni;  th« 

ime  of  service.    But  if  necessity  comjlels  him  to  df  w^goes  so  S^ 

that  his  very  manner  is  an  apology  for  the  act  *  qmcuy 

sei^L         °°'  ^°^*^®  *"  conversation  before  the  commencement  of 

,lo:ngeiiX"t]j'K''  ^'^«^'°'«'^*^-'*  in  the  house  of  God.  or 
'■^  "  i^/u  "u®*  "P*  '"."*'*  '^"*  o'"*'*^  church  like  a  tramplinir  horse  the  mo. 
quiefmanJeT'''"""  "  P«>nounced,  but  retire,  sKlJfinTro^sIS 

.n'lA?"  ^°®«,«!'  ^«  ««!•  ^y  precept  and  example,  to  promote  decoram 
irS't AL7oya&*°  ''''  ^  ^'  »°  Siscou^enance  ^^T- 

In  the  Northern  States,  however,  the  subject  of  tobacco. 

th^J^'^lLl  T  •!^''^"  ,T  ^"  ^  ™°'^  ^^««*  'n^^ner  than 
this,  and  though  It  would  seem  to  be  a  most  unpoetical 

theme.  It  has  been  made  the  topic  of  a  serious  though  not  a 
very  elegant  poem,  if  one  may  judge  from  the  foUowing 
brief  notice  of  it  m  a  Baltunore  paper,  the  only  one  I  have 
seen* 

"T9^"'''o-f™^^o.—The  Rev.  Charles  S.  Adams,  of  Bost^      ^.a* 
TspSmen  r™  ^'^  ^^'^'"^  "°**  ^P'"'"^'    The ToUowinrcou  ■  ^ 

'  vZtt  .7°"i."  ""^"T  'I'o '^e*!*  of  him  that  chewi, 
Enter  the  house  of  God,  and  see  the  pews.' '» 

I  do  not  know  how  far  it  would  be  deemed  an  interference 
with  personal  liberty  to  prohibit  the  chewing  of  tobacco  in 
public  worship.  But  smoking  would  not  be  tolerated  in  any 
church  any  more  than  in  concert-rooms  or  theatres ;  and  at 
present,  in  the  railroad  cars  from  Philadelphia  to  Baltimore, 
and  from  hence  to  Washington,  there  is  a  printed  announce' 
ment,  prohibiting  all  passengers  from  smoking  within  the 
cars ;  a  proof  that  pubhc  opinion  pronounces  smoking  to  be 
more  offensive  to  others  than  chewing,  or  both  would  have 
been  alike  forbidden. 

The  cultivation  of  tobacco,  which  has  nearly  worn  out  the 
best  soils  of  Vurginia  and  Maryland,  from  its  exhausting 
power  oyer  the  earth,  is  ahnost  wholly  carried  on  by  slaves! 
and  as  it  is  believed  h#e  that  the  same  men,  if  free,  would 
not  consent  to  such  laborious  occupation  unless  highly  paid 
and  as  the  operation  is  thought  to  be  too  severe  for  the 
whites,  there  is  a  great  indisposition  on  the  part  of  the  mass 

OI  me  DeODle  to  nfinrnnvtKi'r.»T  ol>«5,* -u-l-v-..         -.tjt,     .    , 

1. ^•••■««5  «i/trUi  nuuiuiuii.      W  flat,  now- 

ever,  is  as  mconsistent  as  it  is  remarkable,  is  this :  that  the 


308 


BALTIMORE. 


Democratic  portion  of  the  populace—they  who  ought,  if  they 
acted  on  their  professed  principles— to  be  the  most  ardent 
friends  of  freedom  and  equal  rights  for  the  blacks,  which 
they  so  strenuously  demand  for  themselves— are  most  strong- 
ly  opposed  to  slave  emancipation.  Their  organs  accordingly 
seize  every  opportunity  to  impute  the  critne  of  advocating 
negro  freedom— for  they  consider  it  as  great  a  crime  to  ask 
Ireedom  from  others  as  to  withhold  it  from  themselves— to 
the  Whigs.  The  following  instance  of  this  occurred  in  the 
Baltimore  Republican  of  April  19,  1838,  on  the  eve  of  the 
election  for  a  member  of  Congress,  when  a  Whig  and  a 
Democratic  candidate  were  presented  to  the  choice  of  the 
electors,  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  recent  death 
of  the  late  member,  Mr.  M'Kim. 

"  Southern  Men  and  Slaveholders,  look  at  this ! 

"  The  following  resolutions  have  passed  the  Massachusetts  Senate 
unanmously.  Read  them  as  a  specimen  of  Webster  Whifffferv  There 
18  not  a  Democrat  in  the  Massachusetts  Senate.  Whilfeir'  has  the 
whole  of  the  honour,  may  it  have  all  the  profit ! 

"Resolves  relating  to  slavery  and  the  slave-trade  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  and  territories  of  the  United  States :  «i»inci  oi 

"  1.  Resolved,  That  Congress  has,  by  the  Constitution,  power  to  abol- 
ish  slavery  and  the  slave-trade  in  the  District  of  Columbia;  and  that 
there  is  nothma  m  the  terms  or  circumstances  of  the  acts  of  cession  bv 
Virgmia  and  Maryland,  or  otherwise,  imposmg  any  legal  or  moral  re- 
stramt  upon  its  exercise.  -r       o      ^     &         «.«iai  ic 

"3.  Resolved,  That  Congress  ought  to  take  measures  for  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia. 

"3.  Resolved,  That  the  rights  of  justice,  the  claims  of  humanity,  and 
the  common  good,  alike  demand  the  entire  suppression  of  the  s  ave- 
trade  now  earned  on  in  the  District  of  Columbia. 
«k"v'u^?^°^^*'^'  "^1?**  Congress  has,  by  the  Constitution,  power  to 
abohsh  slavery  m  the  territories  of  the  United  States. 

k'v "v^r^^^i'  "^^^J  Congress  has,  by  the  Constitution,  power  to 
«  i   n  ®  ^^'^ '"  ^^^^^^  between  different  states  of  the  Union 
.  ®-  Resolved,  That  the  exercise  of  this  power  is  demanded  bv  the 

principles  of  humanity  and  justice.  "  uj' me 

"7,  Resolved,  That  no  new  state  should  hereafter  be  admitted  in  the 

d  rae"t7  T^  Constitution  of  government  shall  permit  the  existence  of 

During  our  stay  at  Baltimore,  an  announcement  was  made 
m  the  public  papers,  "  by  the  levy  court  of  St.  Mary's 
county,"  of  various  estates  and  tracts  of  land  in  this  part 
of  the  state,  on  which  arrears  of  taxes,  the  most  of  very 
small  amounts,  were  due  ;  and  notifying  that,  unless  paid 
within  thirty  days  after  the  date  of  the  advertisement,  the 
lands  would  be  sold  for  the  payment  of  such  arrears.  The 
names  of  the  estates  and  tracts  of  land  were  as  curious  as 
t_ose  m  A..eg..any  county  in  Virginia,  advertised  at  Wash- 


QUAINT  NAMES. — LAND   SOLD  FOR   TAXES. 


309 


ington,  of  which  t!.e  following  specimens  will  serve  as  a 
proof. 

"  The  Flowers  of  the  Forest,"  100  acres,  due  one  dollar 
81  cents;  "  Tit  for  Tat,"  50  acres,  due  1  d.  2  c. ;  "  Truth 
and  Trust,"  85  acres,  due  1  d.  18  c. ;  "  Good  Luck,"  75 
acres,  due  2  d.  30  c.  ;  "  Resiurection  Manor,"  37  acres,  due 
1  d.  32  c;  "Forest  of  Harvey  found  by  Chance,"  140 
acres,  due  2  d.  63  c. ;  "  America  Felix,"  15  acres,  due  1 
d.  20  c. ;  "  America  Felix  Secundus,"  541  acres,  due  40 
d. ;  "  Bachelor's  Comfort,"  225  acres,  due  4  d.  30  c. ; 
"  Wathen's  Disappointment,"  167  acres,  due  5  d.  63  c. ; 
"  Heart's  Delight,"  433  acres,  due  11  d.  6  c. ;  "  Poverty 
Knoll,"  118  acres,  due  2  d.  20  c. ;  «  Chance's  Conclusion 
with  Amendment,"  1032  acres,  due  28  d.  99  c. ;  "  Wit  and 
Folly,"  279  acres,  due  6  d.  40  c.  ;  "  Peace  and  Quietness," 
258  acres,  due  2  d.  69  c. ;  "  Long  looked-for  Come-at-last," 
50  acres,  due  2  d.  18  c.  ;  "  Love's  Adventure,"  215  acres, 
due  5  d.  81  c."* 

These  names,  which  were  all  conferred  by  the  first  pur- 
chasers of  the  estates  so  designated,  had  no  doubt  a  refer- 
ence to  the  several  circumstances  as  well  as  moods  of  mind 
of  the  buyers :  and  their  variety  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  di- 
versified motives  and  changing  fortunes  which  bring  emii- 
grants  from  Europe  to  America,  and  which  lead  men  from 
the  town  to  the  country  in  search  of  subsistence.  As  these 
places  will  most  probably,  however,  retain  their  original 
names  when  towns  are  built  around  them— as  in  the  course 
of  years  is  almost  sure  to  happen— the  nomenclature  of 
America,  already  disfigured  with  odd  and  fanciful  designa- 
tions, and  rendered  confused  by  endless  repetitions,  will  be 
still  worse  than  at  present.  Here,  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  Baltimore,  is  a  Rome,  a  Joppa,  and  a  Havre 
de  Grace ;  in  Long  Island,  close  to  New- York,  Babylon 
and  Jericho  may  be  visited  by  the  same  railroad ;  and  the 
cities  of  Troy,  Memphis,  Athens,  and  Palmyra,  with  Jeru- 
salem, Nazareth,  and  Bethlehem,  have  all  had  their  names, 
at  least,  transferred  from  the  Old  to  the  New  World. 

While  v/e  were  in  Baltimore,  the  State  Legislature  of 
Maryland  was  assembled  at  the  legislative  capital,  Annapo- 
lis, but  had  closed  their  labours  before  we  left.  It  appears 
from  a  report  of  their  proceedings  during  the  session  of  about 
four  months,  that  they  passed  363  laws  and  79  resolutions ; 
so  that  there  would  seem  to  be  the  same  taste  for  excessive 
legislation  here  as  at  home.  Among  the  really  good  laws 
*  In  this  account,  d  meana  dollara,  o  cents. 


SIO 


BALTIMORE. 


which  Ihey  passed  was  one  for  the  legal  registration  of  vo- 
ters previous  to  an  election ;  but,  though  this  law  is  so  just 
in  itself,  and  must  be  so  unobjectionable  to  all  men  v/ho  de- 
sire only  an  honest  exercise  of  the  elective  franchise,  it  has 
been  denounced  by  the  Democratic  party  here  as  though  it 
were  the  greatest  infringement  of  liberty  ever  heard  of. 

The  truth  is,  that  in  this  city,  as  well  as  at  New- York 
and  all  along  the  sea-border,  emigrants  from  Europe,  Ger- 
man and  Irish,  are  brought  up  to  vote  at  the  polls  for  the 
election  of  members  of  Congress  and  municipal  officers 
within  a  few  days  after  their  landing,  though  they  declare 
themselves  to  be  citizens,  swear  to  a  residence  of  the  requi- 
site number  of  years,  get  vouched  for  by  abandoned  men  of 
their  own  party,  and  not  only  vote  without  the  least  title  to 
such  a  privilege,  but  often  vote  in  several  wards  in  succession, 
the  very  circumstance  of  their  being  entire  strangers  render- 
ing it  impossible  for  any  resident  to  detect  them.     A  regis- 
try-law  will  no  doubt  put  an  end  to  this,  and  hence  the 
anger  of  the  party  who  denounce  it ;  but  as  such  a  law  can- 
not possibly  deprive  any  man  who  has  a  right  to  vote  of  his 
power  to  exercise  it,  since  the  suffrage  among  real  and 
bona-fide  citizens  is  universal,  it  seems  impossible  that  any 
truly  honest  politician  should  have  any  real  objection  to  it. 
In  the  Maryland  Legislature  during  the  present  session, 
a  bill  for  abolishing  imprisonment  for  debt  was  passed,  with 
large  majorities,  through  the  House  of  Delegates,  but  it  was 
rejected  in  the  Senate  or  upper  house,  where  only  three 
members  voted  in  its  favour.     This  was  the  fate  of  the  first 
English  bill  on  the  same  subject ;  and  it  exhibits  a  painful 
view  of  human  nature,  when  the  rich,  who  are  not  exposed 
to  the  infliction  of  the  punishment  which  imprisonment  for 
debt  brings  on  misfortune  as  well  as  fraud,  oppose  every  at- 
tempt to  soften  the  rigour  of  a  practice  which  is  unjust  and 
injurious  to  all  parties. 

A  bill  to  prevent  the  carrying  of  concealed  weapons  was 
passed  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  during  our  stay  here, 
by  a  majority  of  85  to  17 ;  and  the  same  object  was  press- 
ed upon  the  attention  of  the  Maryland  Legislature,  as  con- 
cealed weapons  are  worn  by  some  of  the  people  of  this  as 
well  as  of  the  neighbouring  state.  The  bill  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  duelling  in  the  District  of  Columbia  received  also, 
while  we  were  here,  the  final  assent  of  both  houses  of  Con- 
gress and  the  president,  so  that  it  has  become  a  law ;  and 
this,  coupled  with  the  gradual  disuse  of  secret  arms,  will  no 
doubt  have  the  effect  of  lessening'  the  number  of  sangisinary 
conflicts. 


LAST   DAY   IN   BALTIMOBB.- FAREWELL  LECTURE.         811 

ing  with  hill  and  valley,  wood  and  water.     A  number  of 
pretty  and  commodious  villas,  and  several  larger  Teats  or 
mansions  are  scattered  about  the  neighbourhood  of  the  oitv 
within  a  distance  of  from  one  to  fivl  miles,  and  the  vielS 
Irom  the  elevated  points  are  extensive  and  beautiful.     We 

sS'nTto'tlTA      ?""*''  T^  ™°''  agreeable  drives  in  excur- 
sions  to  the  country,  and  saw  new  beauties  every  day 
Ihe  weather  during  our  stay  in  Baltimore  was  pleasant 

vici^ftudetf  theT'  ""'1-  'y  *'^  r «^  uncertai^and 
vicissitude  of  the  American  climate.     On  some  days  we  had 

the  warmth  of  a  summer  sun,  and  found  light  clothing  ac- 

ceptable;    at  other  times  it  was  piercingly  cold,  and  the 

northeast  wmd  most  disagreeable  f  rain  I.L  not  frequent! 

warmest  and  finest  mornings  that  could  be  imagined,  there 
was  a  sudden  overcast  of  the  sky,  and  a  heavy  fall  of  snow 
before  noon.  The  vegetation  amid  all  this  was  ex?  erSely 
backward,  and  up  to  the  20th  of  April  scarcely  a  bud  wm 
to  be  seen  on  any  of  the  larger  trees: 

.nS."  ^5^  ,^°-^'  *\^  H*  ^^y  °^  °"  «^*y  »n  this  city,  we  were 
engaged  during  the  whole^  of  the  day  in  receiving  and  pay! 
ng  parting  visits  to  our  friends,  who  were  more^numeJous 
than  we  could  have  supposed  it  possible  to  make  inTshor? 
a  time.  It  was  scarcely  more  than  three  weeks  since  we 
had  arrived  at  Baltimore  from  Washington,  and  we  had  be! 
the^nlacTT^  wUh  almost  all  the  principal  families  of 
the  p  ace.  It  would  be  impossible  to  speak  too  highly  of 
their  kindness,  hospitality,  and  friendly  attentions  to  us.  If 
we  had  known  them  for  years  instead  of  weeks,  they  could 

whom  we  took  leave,  the  evident  regret  at  parting  was  like 
that  which  IS  felt  at  the  separation  of  kindred  relatives  o?  ' 
nearest  and  dearest  friends;  and  of  the  sincerity  of  these 
manifestations  there  could  be  no  reasonable  ground  of  doubt. 
On  the  evemng  of  the  20th,  at  the  urgent  request  of  the 
greater  portion  of  the  large  auditory  that  had  aUended-my 
courses  on  Egypt  and  Palestine  throughout,  as  well  as  of 
many  who  had  attended  my  public  addrlsseson  temperance 

who  nSZ'^r  "''.^^''^^  ""'"^^''^  ^^'•^  «d<*«d  tS  those 
who  pledged  themselves  to  abstain  from  the  use  of  all  in- 

o7the  fL  T^''-'  ^^"  ^  ^^''"^'^^  ^^°*"'«' '"  the  costume 
ners      Tht'  1""""?^^^^  prmcipally  of  Oriental  life  and  man- 

S  Z  ^         T^^^^f^  *°  ^*°^'''  ^"^  ^°'  »«"ly  an  hour 
-i^f  in.  vxvse  oi  me  lecture,  I  was  detained  in  shaking 


318 


PBNNSYLTAMU. 


hands  with  those  who  came  to  give  me  the  personal  assu- 
rances of  their  good  wishes,  and  urge  their  solicitations  that 
I  would  not  think  of  leaving  America  without  returning  to 
visit  Baltimore  again. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2l8t  we  left  Baltimore  by  the  rail- 
road for  Philadelphia,  where  we  arrived  at  four  o'clock, 
and,  being  met  by  several  friends  at  the  station,  were  com- 
fortably accommodated  in  a  good  boarding-house  at  188 
Chesnut-street,  opposite  the  Masonic  Hall. 


I 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Origin  of  the  Settlement  of  Pennsylvania.— Parentage  and  Education  of  William  Penn. 
—Origin  of  the  Name  of  PennsThania.— Arrival  of  tile  first  Emigrants  in  the  Dela. 
ware— Publication  of  Penn's  Hrat  '•  Frame  of  Government."— Treatr  witb  the  Ii» 
dians  for  their  I^ands.— First  Design  for  the  City  of  Philadelphia.-Penn'a  Return  to 
Kngland.— Affectionate  Farewell  to  his  Settlement.— First  Institution  fw  the  Educa- 
tion of  Youth.— f>enn  deprived  of  his  Government  by  Royal  Warrant— Friendship 
or  John  Loclie  and  Lord  Somers.— Restoration  of  Penn  to  hia  Proprietary  Goverrw 
meiit.- IllneM  and  Death  of  Penn.— Cessation  of  the  Quaker  Authority  in  Pennsyl- 
vania.— Declaration  of  American  Independence  in  Philadelphia.— Prczress  of  Pemj' 
qrlvania  in  Wealth  and  Population.— Description  of  the  State  in  its  Scenery  and  Rm 
■ouicea.- Towns,  Mamifactures,  and  Public  Impnrrenents. 

Op  all  the  cities  in  the  American  Union,  there  is  not  one, 
probably,  that  bears  so  visibly  upon  its  surface  the  impress 
of  its  founder  as  that  of  Philadelphia.  The  symmetry  of 
its  plan,  the  neatness  of  its  buildings,  the  air  of  repose  and 
contentment,  and  its  multiplied  institutions  of  benevolence, 
are  aU  as  prominent  features  of  its  Quaker  origin  and  stri- 
king proofs  of  Quaker  influence,  as  the  names  of  Pennsyl- 
vania for  the  State  and  Philadelphia  for  the  city  are  indic- 
ative of  the  benign  spirit  in  which  these  appellations  were 
conceived.  It  is  desirable,  therefore,  to  trace  the  leadiiig 
incidents  of  the  history  of  this  settlement,  so  far  as  these 
may  illustrate  the  origin,  progress,  and  present  condition  of 
this  portion  of  the  Union,  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the 
States. 

It  was  in  the  year  1680  that  a  charier  for  the  settlement 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  was  first  granted  by  Charles 
the  Second  to  William  Penn,  so  that  from  this  period  its 
history  may  be  most  properly  dated.  The  circumstances 
which  preceded  and  led  to  this  grant  are  sufficiently  curi- 
ous, however,  to  deserve  mention.  The  father  of  William 
Penn  was  an  admiral  in  the  British  Navy,  under  the  protec- 


EARLY  LIFB   or  FSNN. 


813 


torate  of  Oliver  Cromwell;  and  in  1664  he  made  the  con- 
quest  of  Jamaica,  and  first  added  that  valuable  island  to  the 
Uritish  colonial  possessions.  He  was  subsequently  unfortu- 
nate  in  an  expedition  against  St.  Domingo,  for  his  failure  in 
which  he  was  imprisoned  by  CromweU  in  the  Tower  of 

Z^'^fr'  ""^  "«^«'  ""^^^r  employed  under  the  Common- 
wealth.  At  the  restoration  of  the  Stuarts  he  rose  again 
into  favour,  and  commanded  at  sea  in  the  Dutch  wa?  of 
1665  under  the  Duke  of  York;  but  in  1668  he  was  im- 
peached  by  the  House  of  Commons  for  embezzlement  of 
prize-money,  though  the  impeachment  was  never  prosecu- 
ted  to  an  issue.  *^ 

At  this  time  his  son,  WUliam  Penn,  was  a  student  at  the 

University  of  Oxford,  and  was  expected,  from  his  father's 

known  interest  at  court,  to  have  made  a  figure  in  the  world 

m  some  public  walk  of  life.     But  at  the  age  of  sixteen 

he  became  so  impressed  with  the  discourses  of  a  Quaker 

preacher  whom  he  heard  at  Oxford,  that  the  warmth  and 

openness  with  which  he  espoused  the  doctrines  of  this  sect 

led  to  his  expulsion  from  the  University.     His  father,  in  the 

true  style  of  an  admiral  of  those  days,  endeavoured  to  cure 

him  of  his  "new-fangled  notions,"  as  they  were  then  caUed, 

by  first  giving  him  a  severe  flogging,  with  blows,  and  then 

banishing  him  from  his  house  and  presence.    This  had  the 

natural  effect  of  attaching  him  the  more  strongly  to  the  prin- 

ciples  for  which  he  was  so  bitterly  persecuted. 

The  admiral  then  resorted  to  another  and  more  insidious 
method  of  curing  this  early  «  eccentricity,"  as  he  consider- 
ed  It,  which  was,  to  send  him  on  a  course  of  travels  through- 
out  Europe  with  some  of  the  gayest  young  men  of  rank 
and  family  m  France ;  the  result  of  which  was,  that  he  re- 
turned t»  his  approving  parent  with  a  complete  change  of 
manners  and  sentiments,  as  "  a  man  of  the  world."    goon 
after,  however,  he  had  occasion  to  visit  Ireland,  in  th«  year 
1666,  to  inspect  an  estate  ;  and  meeting  there  with  tie  same 
Quaker  preacher  whose  discourses  had  made  so  powerful 
an  impression  on  him  at  Oxford,  all  his  forr-«r  veneration 
tor  the  principles  of  Quakerism  was  revived,  tu^d  he  made 
an  open,  public,  and  solemn  profession  of  hi?  determination 
to  embrace  them,  and  act  upon  them  through  life. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  differept  writers,  the  con- 
duct  of  Penn  seems  after  this  to  have  exAibited  a  mixture  of 
good  and  evil  which  is  very  remarkadle ;  at  one  time  up- 
holding,  with  all  his  ability  and  influence,  the  despotic  pre- 
--D—-^'  ^-*  t"c  txuwuj  ui  auucncr  uppcaung  lo  me  House 


Vol.  I.— R  r 


27 


•14 


PIMNSTLTANU. 


r 


of  Commons  for  a  repeal  of  the  penal  laws  against  Dissent- 
ers, attaching  himself  to  Algernon  Sidney,  and  assisting  his 
election  for  Guildford  as  a  friend  of  the  people,  against  a 
court  candidate  who  opposed  him ;  soon  after  this,  seeing 
his  friend  Sidney  perish  on  the  scaifold  for  his  patriotism,  and 
yet  keeping  up,  during  all  this  time,  his  cordial  intimacy  with 
the  despotic  sovereign  and  court  by  whom  this  outrage  was 
perpetrated ;  being  present  at  the  execution  of  a  most  pious 
and  benevolent  as  well  as  aged  lady,  Mrs.  Grant,  who  was 
burned  :  'ive  because  she  gave  shelter  to  a  person  who  had 
escaped   rom  the  rebel  army  of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth,  but 
of  whom  she  knew  nothing  except  that  he  was  a  person  in 
distress ;  and  being  present  also  at  the  execution  of  Alder- 
man Cornish,  who  was  hung  at  his  own  door  on  an  imputa- 
tion of  treason  which  was  i^ever  proved,  and  in  which  no 
one  but  his  accusers  believed.     This  was  under  James  the 
Second,  with    'hom,  in  the  very  height  of  his  tyranny,  Penn 
maintained  a  confidential  intimacy  and  apparent  friendship, 
which  it  is  as  difficult  to  understand  as  it  has  been  found 
impossible  to  explain. 

In  1680,  when  Charles  the  Second  was  on  the  throne, 
and  when  Penn,  from  his  share  in  the  direction  of  the  affairs 
of  New- Jersey,  with  other  members  of  the  Socirity  of  Friends 
with  whom  he  '^'as  associated,  had  become  well  acquainted 
with  the  value  of  the  territory  west  of  the  Delaware  River, 
he  presented  a  petition  to  Charles,  setting  forth  his  relation- 
ship to  the  deceased  admiral,  and  stating  that  a  debt  was  due 
to  his  father  from  the  crown,  which  had  not  been  paid  in 
consequence  of  the  shutting  up  of  the  exchequer  by  the 
Earl  of  Shaftesbury.     For  this  debt  he  expressed  his  will- 
ingness  to  receive  a  grant  of  the  territories  west  of  the  Del- 
aware  and  north  of  Maryland,  which  was  then  already  in 
the  possession  of  Lord  Baltimore ;   and  the  grounds  on 
which  Jie  justified  his  application  were,  a  belief  that,  by  his 
interest  with  the  Quakers,  he  should  be  enabled  to  colonize 
the  territory,  and  make  it  productive  of  a  considerable  rev- 
enue to  the  British  treasury ;  and  that,  at  the  same  time,  he 
should  be  enabled  to  enlarge  the  British  dominions,  and  pro- 
mote the  glorj  of  God  by  the  conversion  of  the  native  In- 
dians to  Christianity.      This  petition  was  referred  to  the 
Duke  of  York  an&  Lord  Baltimore  ;  and  their  approbation, 
after  certain  restrictions,  being  accorded,  and  some  techni- 
cal and  legal  difficulties  being  removed,  the  charter  was 
granted  to  William  Penn,  in  consideration  of  the  merits  of 
the  father  and  the  good  purposes  of  the  son ;  and  by  it 


ORiaiN  or  TUB  name.-— charter. 


815 


himself  and  his  heirs  were  made  perpetual  proprietors  of  the 
extensive,  rich,  and  fertile  province  now  constituting  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  origin  of  the  name  is  thus  explained.  It  was  a  prop« 
osition  of  King  Charles  that  the  province  should  be  called 
Penn,  or  that  this  name  should  form  part  of  any  appella> 
lion  that  might  be  fixed  on.  This  was  resisted  by  Penn, 
lest  it  should  be  imputed  to  him  as  vanity.  He  himself  pro- 
posed to  call  it  New  Wales,  but  this  was  for  some  reason 
disapproved.  Penn  next  suggested  Sylvania,  as  the  prov- 
ince was  so  beautifully  diversified  with  wood  ;  to  which  the 
king  insisted  on  prefixing  the  name  of  Penn,  in  honour  of 
the  admiral,  whose  memory  he  revered. 

The  conditions  on  which  "  the  Proprietary,"  as  Penn  was 
now  called,  held  his  vast  and  valuable  grant,  was  the  pay- 
ment of  two  bear-skins  annually,  and  a  tribute  of  one  fifth 
of  whatever  gold  and  silver  might  be  discovered  in  the  prov- 
ince, which  tribute  was  to  be  the  personal  property  of  the 
king.  The  proprietary  was  empowered  by  this  charter  to 
divide  the  province  into  townships,  hundreds,  and  counties  ; 
to  incorporate  boroughs  and  cities ;  to  make  laws  with  the 
assent  of  the  freemen ;  to  impose  taxes  for  public  purposes; 
to  levy  men,  to  vanquish  enemies,  to  put  them  to  death  by 
the  laws  of  war,  and  to  do  all  that  belonged  to  the  office  of 
captain-general  in  an  army,  on  condition  that  the  laws 
madd  should  be  in  conformity  with  the  laws  of  England  ; 
that  the  customs  due  to  the  king  on  articles  of  trade  should 
be  fairly  paid  ;  and  that  the  allegiance  of  the  province  to 
the  crown  and  Parliament  should  be  maintained. 

After  the  grant  of  the  charter,  Penn  exerted  hinr^lf  to  at- 
tract settlers  to  his  new  domain.  He  published  accounts  of 
the  soil  and  climate,  and  offered  to  those  who  wished  to  be- 
come residents  therein  land  at  the  rate  of  forty  shillings  for 
one  hundred  acres,  with  a  perpetual  quit-rent  of  a  shilling 
only  for  each  lot  of  that  extent.  Persons  were  admonished, 
before  they  bought,  to  balance  present  inconvenience  with 
future  ease  and  plenty,  to  obtain  the  consent  of  parents  and 
relations,  and  have  especial  regard  to  the  will  of  God. 
They  were  assured  that  no  planter  would  be  permitted  to 
injure  the  native  Indians,  not  even  under  pretence  of  aven- 
ging injuries  received  ;  but  that  all  differences  between  the 
two  races  should  be  referred  to  twelve  arbitrators,  half  se- 
lected  from  each  race,  and  their  decision  made  binding. 
He  was  wisely  aware,  however,  that  no  individual  will  may 

t/b  ouiCij    tiUotvu  -    aiiu..  ai;v;OrviiiiL:i v,  ill  uuc  ui  xua  xclicii 


13  Ot 


m$ 


FSNNIYLTANIA. 


this  period,  1681,  he  says,  "As  my  understanding  and  incli- 
nations  have  been  much  directed  to  observe  and  reprove 
mischiefs  in  government,  so  it  is  now  put  into  my  power  to 
•ettle  one.  For  the  matters  of  liberty  and  privilege,  I  pur- 
pose  that  which  i»  extraordinary,  and  leave  myself  and  sue- 
cessors  no  power  of  doing  mischief,  that  the  wUl  of  one  man 
may  not  hinder  the  good  of  a  whole  country." 

The  first  settlers  sailed  from  London  and  Bristol  in  three 

Jhips.     They  were  headed  by  Col.  Markham,  a  relative  of 

J^enn,  as  deputy-governor  of  the  province ;  and  certain  of 

their  number  were  appointed  to  confer  with  the  Indians,  to 

purchase  the  lands  on  equitable  terms,  and  to  make  with 

them  a  treaty  of  peace.     By  their  hands  Penn  himself  ad- 

dressed  a  letter  to  the  Indians,  in  which  he  stated  that, 

though  the  King  of  England  had  given  him  the  proprietary 

right  over  this  territory,  he  wished  to  purchase  it,  and  enjoy 

Jt  with  the  consent  of  the  Indians  themselves ;  for,  though 

many  of  their  nation  had  hitherto  been  cruelly  treated  by 

*-uropeans,  those  he  now  sent  among  them  wished  to  treat 

ttiem  with  justice,  and  reside  near  them  in  peace. 

On  theur  arrival  in  America  the  settlers  took  possession 
of  a  forest  on  the  west  side  of  the  Delaware,  about  twelve 
miles  above  Newcastle,  a  settled  town  of  Maryland,  and 
there  began  to  prepare  for  the  reception  of  the  followers  by 
Whom  they  were  to  be  joined. 

«  ii}^^  ^^"  r  first  published  his  celebrated  code,  en4itled 
ihe  frame  of  the  Government  of  Pennsylvania,"  a  com- 
posiuon  which,  like  the  character  of  its  writer,  contained  a 
th^SS.""  ™>xture  of  veneration  for  the  despotic  maxim  of 
the  di»ie  right  of  government,"  and  clear  perceptions  of 
the  true  principles  of  just  and  liberal  policy ;  the  latVer,  how. 

Tfrl  to?h!    ™'?*'"^^     ^"  K^^  '^y^'  "^"y  government 
is  free  to  the  people  under  it  where  the  laws  rule,  and  where 

he  people  are  a  party  to  these  laws ;  and  more  than  this  is 

tyranny,  oliprchy,  or  confusion."    He  insists  upon  the  im- 

portance  of  havmg  good  men  as  the  only  faithful  administra- 

tZof  f.f  7 '  """L'  *^  '"PP^y  ^^^'^'  ^«  "ge«  the  impor. 
tance  of  the  virtuous  education  of  youth  ;  and  he  concludes 
with  these  remarkable  words :  "  We  have,  with  reverence  to 
wod  and  good  conscience  to  men,  to  the  best  of  our  skill 
contrived  and  composed  the  frame  of  this  government,  to 
the  great  end  of  aU  rule  :  to  support  power  in  reverence  with 
the  people,  and  to  secure  the  people  from  the  abuse  of  pow- 
er  tha^  they  may  be  free  by  their  just  obedience,  and  the 
magistrates  honourable  for  their  just  administration ;  for  lib- 


flNQULAR   RIOOIiATIONS. 


317 


erty  without  obedience  is  confusion,  nnd  obedience  without 
liberty  is  slavery." 

The  machine  of  government  was  to  consist  of  the  proprio- 
tary  or  his  deputy  and  the  freemen ;  and  the  latter  were  to 
be  divided  mto  two  bodies,  a  provincial  council  and  a  gen- 
eral  assembly.     The  council  was  to  consist  of  seventy-two 
members,  and  to  be  elected  by  the  freemen  ;  twenty-four  of 
the  members  to  retire  annually,  and  their  places  to  be  sup. 
plied  by  a  new  election.     The  assembly  was  to  consist,  in 
the  first  year,  of  all  the  freemen  amonjf  the  settlers ;  in  the 
second  year,  of  two  hundred  representatives  chosen  by  the 
rest ;  and  after  this,  to  be  augmented  as  the  population  in- 
creased.     They  were  to  be  elected  annually,  and  the  mode 
ot  voting  for  both  houses  was  to  be  by  ballot ;  but,  owing  to 
the  opposition  of  some  English  freeholders,  who  protested 
against  this  un-English  mode  of  going  to  the  poll  «« muzzled" 
--though  the  same  mode  of  voting  by  ballot  was  introduced 
by  the  Puritans  into  New-England,  and  still  existed  there 
and  in  Ne w- Jersey— Penn  was  overruled  by  these  objectors, 
and  changed  it  to  the  mode  of  open  voting. 

Some  very  singular  regulations,  forming  a  sort  of  supple- 
mental  code^  were  issued  soon  after  the  first  publication  of 
the  "  Frame  of  Government,"  of  which  the  following  are 
examples.     All  prisons  were  to  be  made  workhouses,  that 
criminals  confined  in  them  might  labour  for  their  subsist- 
ence.     A  thief  was  to  restore  twice  the  vr>.lue  of  the  property 
he  had  stolen ;  and,  if  unable  to  do  this  from  other  sources, 
shou'.d  work  as  a  bondsman  in  prison  to  accumulate   the 
amount.     The  landed  as  well  as  personal  estate  of  debtors 
was  to  be  answerable  for  their  debts,  except  where  lawful 
children  might  be  defrauded  by  this,  in  which  case  two 
thirds  were  to  be  reserved  for  their  use.     All  factors  who 
should  defraud  foreign  correspondents  or  dealers  were  to 
pay  complete  restitution  of  the  whole  sum  due,  and  a  sur- 
plus of  one  third  more  as  compensation  for  the  wrong  done. 
No  person  could  leave  the  province  without  publishing  his 
mtention  three  weeks  before  in  the  market-place.     No  dra- 
matic entertainments,  games  of  chance,  or  sports  of  cruelty 
were  to  be  permitted  ;  and  whatever  contributed  to  promote 
ferocity  of  disposition,  idleness,  licentiousness,  or  irreligion, 
was  to  be  punished  and  discouraged.     And  all  children  of 
the  age  of  twelve  years  were  to  be  taught  some  useful  art  or 
trade,  so  that  none  might  be  idle  j  so  that,  while  the  poor 
should  work  to  live,  the  rich,  if  they  became  poor,  might  not 
want. 


318 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


In  the  same  year,  1682,  but  towards  its  close,  William 
Penn  himself  embarked  for  his  new  territory,  and  left  Eng- 
land with  about  a  hundred  Quakers,  who  had  determined  to 
follow  his  fortunes  in  the  Western  world.  On  their  arrival 
on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware,  they  found  everything  in  a 
most  promising  condition.  In  addition  to  the  English  set- 
tlers brought  out  by  Colonel  Markham,  there  were  3000 
Swedish  and  Dutch,  who  had  planted  themselves  in  the  ad- 
joining territory  of  Delaware,  which  was  now  united  to 
Pennsylvania ;  and,*  in  addition  to  those  who  came  out  with 
Penn  himself,  there  was  an  augmentation  of  their  numbers 
in  the  same  year,  but  subsequent  to  the  arrival  of  Penn,  of 
no  less  than  2000  persons,  mostly  Quakers,  and  almost  all 
men  of  education,  substance,  and  strong  attachment  to  civil 
and  religious  freedom.  To  these,  again,  were  added  Qua- 
kers from  Germany  and  Holland  in  almost  equal  numbers ; 
so  that  the  proprietary  soon  saw  himself  surrounded  by  a 
numerous,  intelligent,  moral,  and  religious  community. 

With  such  materials  as  these  had  Penn  the  happiness  and 
advantage  to  begin  the  work  of  legislation ;  and,  according- 
ly, he  summoned,  in  December  of  the  year  1682,  his  first 
juoyincial  parliament  at  Chester.  The  confidence  reposed 
in  him  by  all  parties  was  such  that  his  "  Frame  of  Govern- 
ment" was  readily  assented  to,  and  an  act  of  settlement 
passed  for  its  adoption.  Shortly  after,  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting events  in  Pennsylvanian  annals  occurred,  namely, 
the  negotiation  of  a  treaty  with  the  Indians  for  the  purchase 
of  their  lands,  which  was  done  by  commissioners  appointed 
for  that  purpose  ;  but  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  by  Penn 
was  executed  by  him  in  person.  The  spot  selected  for  this 
purpose  was  beneath  a  great  elm-tree,  that  stood  where  one 
of  the  suburbs  of  Philadelphia,  called  Kensington,  is  now 
built.  Under  this  tree  the  Indians  of  the  possessing  tribe 
assembled,  with  their  chief  at  their  head ;  and,  being  all 
warriors,  they  were  fully  armed.  They  were  here  met  by 
William  Penn,  at  the  head  of  a  body  of  unarmed  Quakers 
like  himself,  his  only  distinction  from  his  companions  being 
the  use  of  a  blue  silk  sash,  and  the  holding  in  his  hands  the 
parchment  roll  on  which  the  previously-negotiated  treaty 
had  been  written  out. 

After  an  interchange  of  congratulations,  Penn  addressed 
the  Indians  through  the  medium  of  an  interpreter,  and  the 
following  was  the  substance  of  his  address :  He  appealed 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  whohi  both  parties  acknowledged  as  the 
searcher  of  hearts,  for  the  sincerity  of  his  desire  to  live  at 


RATIFICATION   OF  THE    TREATY. 


319 


peace  with  all  men.  They  had  come  unarmed,  because  it 
was  not  their  custom  to  use  weapons  of  any  kind.  He  de- 
sired that  whatever  was  done  Ijetween  them  should  be  for 
the  equal  advantage  of  both  races.  He  read  the  terms  of 
the  purchase  agreed  to  by  them  for  their  lands,  the  amount 
of  which  has  never  been  ascertained ;  but,  having  obtained 
their  assent  to  the  sum  as  suHlcient,  it  was  then  paid,  and 
the  various  articles  of  merchandise  which  the  Quakers  had 
brought  were  then  tendered  to  the  Indians  as  presents  or 
gifts,  over  and  above  the  purchase-money,  which  they  also 
accepted.  They  were  farther  offered  the  common  use  of 
the  land  for  their  own  purposes  as  long  as  they  might  need 
it ;  they  were  assured  that  they  should  be  considered  as  of 
the  same  flesh  and  blood  with  the  white  race  ;  and  the 
parchment-roll  being  presented  to  the  Indians,  to  be  by 
them  preserved  for  tjieir  posterity,  they  signified  their  cor- 
dial assent  to  a..  Ihe  conditions  it  contained,  and  declared 
their  determination  to  live  with  William  Penn  and  his  de- 
.  scendants  in  peace  and  friendship  as  long  as  the  sun  and 
moon  should  endure. 

Such  was  the  touching  and  solemn  scene  of  equity  and 
good  faith  by  which  the  ratification  of  this  treaty  was  com- 
pleted ;  and  the  subsequent  faithful  adherence  to  its  condi- 
tions by  the  Quakers  gave  them  a  degree  of  sanctity  in  the 
estimation  of  the  Indians  that  has  never  been  enjoyed  by 
any  other  Europeans.  It  is  said  that  no  instance  has  ever 
occurred  in  which  a  person  known  to  be  a  Quaker  has  re- 
ceived a  personal  insult  or  injury  from  a  native  Indian; 
and  when  these  last  were  at  war  with  every  other  class  of 
European  settlers,  they  invariably  exempted  the  Quakers 
from  their  hostility ;  for  to  those  who  neither  used,  nor  even 
wore  weapons  of  any  kind,  it  was  deemed  by  them  a  sort  of 
cowardice  and  sacrilege  combined  to  lift  the  club  or  the 
tomahawk  of  war. 

In  1683  more  vessels  began  to»arrive  with  new  settlers, 
most  of  them  Quakers  and  other  Dissenters,  who  witbdrev 
from  England  to  avoid  the  religious  persecutions  of  the  day ; 
and  the  high  character  of  these  classes  continued  to  sustain 
the  moral  excellence  of  the  general  community.  A  second 
session  of  the  legislative  assembly  was  called,  in  which  vari- 
ous modifications  of  the  original  Constitution  were  proposed 
and  Adopted ;  the  council  was  reduced  to  eighteen  m»;m- 
bers,  and  the  assembly  to  thirty-six,  and  the  session  closed 
to  the  complete  satisfaction  of  all  parties. 

xt.  TTuo  at  tuis  ^ciiuu  iiiai.  X  cuii  ursi  sclccieu  mc  sue  ana 


3S0 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


designed  the  plan  of  the  present  city  of  Philadelphia.  The 
posuion  was  most  happily  chosen,  between  the  rivers  Dela- 
ware  on  the  west  and  Schuylkill  on  the  east,  the  distance 

Ipn^tf  T™  *°  f^T  ^^^"^  ^^°"^  t^°  English  miles.     The 
ength  of  space  for  the  city  was  indefinite ;  but  the  first  out- 
line  made  it  nearly  a  square  of  two  miles  on  each  side.     The 
plan  devised  by  Penn  was  one  of  the  greatest  regularity, 
he  streets  bemg  made  to  run  from  river  to  river,  in  straigh 
Imes  east  and  west,  to  be  crossed  by  others  at  r  ght  angles 
runmng  exactly  north  and  south,  with  a  large  square  for  the 
cen^e,  and  several  other  open  .paces  for  fquares  and  g^! 
dens  m  different  parts  of  the  town. 
It  is  remarkable  that  the  celebrated  Dr.  Prideaux,  in  his 

Tp' i  7»''°'^'  "  ^^'  Connexion  of  the  Old  and  New 
Tes  ament,  gives  a  plan  of  ancient  Babylon,  and  says  of  it, 
Much  according  to  this  model  hath  William  Penn,  the 
Quaker,  laid  the  ground  for  his  City  of  Philadelphia,  in 
Pennsylvania ;  and,  were  it  all  built  according  to  that  de- 
sign  It  would  be  the  fairest  city  in  America,  aSd  not  much 
behind  any  other  in  the  whole  world."  The  learned  dean 
was  right  m  his  estimate;  for  it  is  now  nearly  so  completed, 
and  already  It  may  be  called  the  most  beautiful  city  in 

World,  but  this  belongs  to  the  topography  rather  than  the 

TLt'\'''\^''^  ^^"  ^^  spoken  of  in  its  proper  place 
m  lb«4,  when  the  organization  of  ^he  new  settlement  had 
been   completed,   and   when    happiness   and    contentment 

i^ngland,  for  the  double  purpose  of  promoting  certain  claims 
respecting  the  territory  under  Lord  Baltimore,  and  aiding 
his  Quaker  brethren  at  home  in  their  struggles  against  the 
measures  pursued  towards  Dissenters  by  the  Established 
Church.     Previous  to  his  embarcation,  he  appointed  Thomas 

Sk  ^  ^i"  ';  *^  ^^  ^'^  deputy.governor,  and  Colonel 
Markham,  his  relative,  to  be  his  secretary,  and  nominated 
lour  planters  to  act  as  provincial  judges ;  and  in  a  parting 
address  to  his  friendf.  and  followers,  he  thus  speaks  of  the 

Tl  ^"  ^f  ^r^^'^  ''  "  ^"^  ^^°"'  Philadelphia^!  the  virgb 
settlement  of  this  province,  named  before  thou  wert  born, 
What  love,  what  care,  what  service,  and  what  travail  has 
there  been  to  bring  thee  forth,  and  preserve  thee  from  such 
as  would  abuse  and  defile  thee  !  My  love  to  thee  ha%been  ^ 
great,  and  the  remembrance  of  thee  affects  mine  heart  and 
mme  eyes !  The  God  of  eternal  strength  keep  and  pre- 
serve  thee  to  his  glory  and  thy  peace  !"    At  this  period  the 


FIRST  PUBLIC    SCHOOL. 


StI 


city  contained  about  300  houses,  and  the  population  of  the 
whole  province  was  estimated  at  about  6000  persons. 

In  1687  another  occasion  arose  in  which  the  pacific  prin- 
ciples of  the  Quakers  were  put  to  a  severe  test,  and  in 
which  they  triumphed  as  effectually  as  before.  A  rumour 
had  got  abroad  of  an  intended  conspiracy  among  the  In- 
dians, for  the  purpose  of  massacring  the  whole  of  the  white 
population  of  Pennsylvania.  On  this  occasion,  Caleb  Pu- 
sey,  a  Quaker,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  a  small  but  in- 
trepid band  of  five  other  Quakers,  named  by  the  council, 
and  repaired  with  them,  unarmed,  to  the  presence  of  the  In- 
dian chief  and  his  warriors.  It  was  subsequently  aboer- 
tained  that  no  such  conspiracy  had  been  formed ;  but  the 
conduct  of  the  deputation  was  not  the  less  a  proof  of  their 
moral  courage  and  firmness ;  and  the  business  terminated 
happily  between  all  parties. 

In  1689  the  first  institution  for  the  education  of  youth 
was  established  in  Pennsylvania,  under  the  title  of  "  The 
Friends'  Public  School  of  Philadelphia,"  at  the  head  of 
which  was  placed  a  celebrated  Quaker  teacher  named 
George  Keith,  who  afterward  became  a  prominent  cbaracter 
in  the  annals  of  the  state.  This  person  was  a  native  of  Ab- 
erdeen, in  Scotland,  of  a  strong  controversial  disposition, 
which  was  variously  directed  to  important  and  unimportant 
topics.  Among  the  former,  however,  he  was  one  of  the 
earliest  to  protest  against  the  unchristian  character  of  negro 
slavery,  in  which  he  was  more  warmly  supported  by  the 
German  emigrants  of  the  colony  than  by  the  English.  He 
afterward  abjured  Quakerism,  embraced  the  tenets  of  the 
Church  of  England,  and  was  subsequently  sent  out  as  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  Indians  by  the  English  Society  for  the  Prop- 
agation of  the  Gospel,  and  was  said  to  be  very  successful  in 
making  converts  to  his  newly-adopted  faith. 

In  1893  a  material  change  took  place  in  the  exercise  of 
the  ruling  power  over  Pennsylvania.  The  revolution  of 
1683  having  led  to  the  banishment  of  James  the  Second,  the 
patron  of  Penn,  and  the  settlement  of  William  the  Third  on 
the  British  throne,  a  colourable  pretence  was  set  up  of  Penn's 
being  attached  to  the  fallen  fortunes  of  the  exiled  monarch, 
and  of  the  laws  having  been  administered  in  Pennsylvania 
in  the  name  of  the  deposed  sovereign  after  the  government 
of  William  and  Mary  was  acknowledged  in  other  colonial 
dependencies  of  the  crown ;  in  consequence  of  which  a  roy- 
al warrant  was  issued,  depriving  Penn  of  his  authority  m 
America,  and  placing  all  power  over  Pennsylvania,  as  well 
Vol.  I. — S  8 


322 


PENNSyiVANU. 


as  New-York,  in  the  hands  of  Colonel  Fletcher,  as  the  gov- 
ernor  for  the  king.  '  ^ 

mentT.  "VZ  \f'^^  Tf  ^''""^'^  ^'^^  '  ^"*  ^"""S  ^^is  retire- 
ZITa     K-f      u  &«°^/o'^t"ne  to  be  befriended  by  the  cele- 

eSll^ M  r^''  ^f""  r^°'^^'  ""^^  ^^^  hi">««if  been  an 
Penn  Z^'^        J'^f^'-  ^T"'  '^^  ®""«"^'  «"d  for  whom 
Penn  had  interceded  with  that  sovereign,  so  that  this  recip- 
rocation  of  services  was  honourable  to  both  parties.     By  the 
influence  of  Locke,  Lord  Somers,  and  other  friends  of 
Penn  the  royal  warrant  that  deprived  him  of  his  proprieta- 
lUl       T^  jevoked,  and  he  was  again  reinstated  in  his 
rights  and  authority  over  his  province,  after  a  suspension  of 
about  a  year  ;  this  occurred  in  1694,  when  he  invested  Col- 
onel  Markham,  as  before,  with  full  authority  as  his  deputy, 
governor  over  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware 
nZ^""  uTu^^  °^  •  ^^  PQpulation  by  emigration  and  other 
thTl'  IfiQ^  fr  ^°'"^  on  gradually  during  all  this  time,  so 
that  m  1695  there  were  about  20,000  inhabitants,  exclusive 
fLUTZ  ^  ^""^'J  ""  ^^^  province.     The  character  of  the  em- 
igrants  began,  however,  to  be  somewhat  different  from  that 
of  the  original  settlers  ;  and  there  were  more  men  attracted 
to  the  country  by  the  hope  oi  gain,  than  seeking,  as  former- 
ly,  an  asylum  from  religious  persecution.     The  wages  of 
labour  were  extremely  high,  and  persons  arriving  in  compar- 

In  1696  a  third  "Frame  of  Government"  was  formed 

an7fhl  A        ^?""/^^  'T.  '^^"^^^  ^""^"^  18  to  12  members! 

into  which  the  provmce  was  divided  was  now  six,  and  each 

rSbly"'  '^°  "'''^^'''  *°  '^'  ^°"""^  ^»d  four  to  S 

rril^^^^^  *^^  benevolent  Penn  embarked  a  second  time  to 
visit  his  possessions  in  the  West ;  and  on  this  occasion  hTwas 

tenZT'"^  ^^  ^'  ^"™"y'  ^«  ^'  P^«f««««d  it  to  be  hisT 
tention  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  Pennsylvania. 
His  reception  was  cordial  and  affectionate ;  and  among  the 
first  measures  to  which  his  attention  was  directed,  was  one 

theeZThTh'*:?  '""^^^'°"  ""l  "^^'°  «^^^^«'  ^»d  correcting 
Iettl7ri  ?  t^^  arisen  out  of  the  traffic  between  the  whitf 
nolpH  K  .K  n  "^*7^  ^"^^^"''  *'^°"g''  ^«  both  he  was  op- 
ficatfon  ^  '    '""*  '^'  Assembly,  to  his  gr^at  morti- 

hiull^u'  ^^^^'  ^""^  y^^"'  residence  in  Pennsylvania,  im- 
bittered  by  many  uxssensions  and  disputes,  Penn  nrenared 


DEATH   OF   PENN. — EMANCIPATION. 


888 


again  to  re-embark  for  England.  Previous  to  this,  howev- 
er, a  fourth  and  last  «*  Frame  of  Government"  was  estab. 
Iished  by  him,  containing  many  amendments  on  the  former 
ones;  liberty  of  conscience  was  declared  to  be  the  inviola- 
ble right  of  all  the  colonists ;  and  Christians  of  every  de- 
nomination were  pronounced  to  be  equally  eligible  to  all  of- 
fices  of  government.  It  was  just  before  his  departure,  also, 
that  he  conferred  the  first  charter  of  incorporation  on  his 
favourite  city  of  Philadelphia. 

Penn  did  not  long  survive  this  event ;  for  in  the  follow- 
ing year,  1701,  various  mortifications  and  disappt  aments, 
some  of  a  political  and  some  of  a  pecuniary  nature,  threw 
him  into  great  embarrassment.  He  was  obliged  first  to 
mortgage,  and  ultimately  to  offer  to  sell,  to  the  British  gov- 
ernment the  whole  of  his  proprietary  rights  for  the  com- 
paratively insignificant  sum  of  £12,000  sterling  ;  but  this 
was  not  completed  by  reason  of  his  illness  and  death,  which 
occurred  in  his  sixty-sixth  year ;  after  which  the  proprietary 
title  was  continued  in  his  descendants,  and  so  remained  un- 
til near  the  period  of  the  American  Revolution. 

It  was  in  1775  that  the  dissensions  first  began  between 
the  Quakers,  who  still  maintained  a  majority  in  the  provin- 
cial Assembly,  and  the  governor  of  the  province,  respecting 
matters  of  taxation  and  military  appropriations  ;  and  this 
ended  in  the  gradual  withdrawal  of  the  Quakers  from  the 
legislative  body,  as  well  as  from  all  offices  of  political  au- 
thority, and  the  devotion  of  their  time  and  labours  to  phil- 
anthropic and  benevolent  objects.  The  question  of  negro 
slavery  particularly  engaged^  their  attention ;  for,  though 
many  efforts  had  been  made  io  abolish  this  degrading  servi- 
tude, it  still  existed  in  full  vigour  here.  As  early  as  1688, 
the  Quakers  made  a  public  declaration  of  their  Society  as  to 
the  unlawfulness  of  slavery. 

In  1718  a  work  was  published  against  slavery  by  an  in- 
habitant of  Long  Island,  named  Burling,  a  Quaker.  In 
1729,  a  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  named  Sandiford,  pub- 
lished another  work  on  the  same  topic,  called  "  The  Mys- 
tery  of  Iniquity ;"  and  three  other  Quakers,  Benjamin  Lay  of 
Pennsylvania,  John  Woolman  of  New- Jersey,  and  Anthony 
Benezet,  a  Frenchman  who  had  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania, 
followed  up  these  efforts  by  writings  from  their  respective 
pens.  This  latter  philanthropist,  devoting  himself  to  the 
business  of  education,  so  implanted  in  the  minds  of  all  his 
pupils  a  horror  and  abhorrence  of  slavery,  that  he  may  be 
said  to  have  raised  up  a  new  fireneration  of  abolitionists  and 


I 

i 


m 


824 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


thus  to  have  contributed  powerfully  to  promote  the  cessation 
ol  the  evil,  as  most  of  those  educated  by  him  refused  to  hold 
slaves  under  any  conditions,  and  gave  freedom  to  those  who 
came  to  them  as  slaves  by  inheritance.  This  spirit  went  on 
increasmg  till  it  arrived  at  its  crisis  in  1774,  when  the  Qua- 
kers  of  Pennsylvania,  as  a  body,  emancipated  all  their  slaves, 
and  excluded  from  membership  all  those  of  their  sect  who 
declined  to  make  this  sacrifice  of  profit  to  principle,  of  which 
they  were  the  first  to  set  an  example. 

In  1776  Philadelphia  became  the  scene  of  the  memorable 

Declaration  of  American  Independence,  which  was  drawn 

up  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  and,  after  careful  examination  and 

revision  by  the  committee  to  which  the  draught  was  submit- 

.  ted,  received  its  solemn  sanction  by  the' signatures  of  the  en- 

lightened  and  virtuous  founders  of  American  freedom,  in  the 

City  Hall  of  Philadelphia,  which  still  exists,  about  ninety 

years  after  its  first  foundation.     The  city  was  at  that  time 

very  inconsiderable  in  extent  or  population,  but  it  was  even 

then  characterized,  as  it  had  always  been,  by  general  intel- 

ligence,  a  high  tone  of  morals,  and  a  large  share  of  public 

and  private  virtue. 

At  this  period  the  population  of  Philadelphia  was  5460  • 
but,  like  all  the  other  cities  of  the  American  Union,  it  st'artl 
ed  from  this  point  on  a  new  career  of  prosperity,  and  went 
on,  under  the  benign  influence  of  its  newly-acquired  freedom 
mcreasing  so  rapidly  in  wealth  and  population,  that  it  now 
contains  upward  of  200,000  inhabitants,  and  may  in  every 
respect  be  called  one  of  the  most  agreeable  and  beautiful 
cities  in  the  world. 

As  the  progress  of  the  Slate  of  Pennsylvania— of  which 
Philadelphia  is  the  metropolis,  though  not  the  legislative 
capital— 18  closely  associated  with  that  of  the  city,  it  may 
be  well  to  glance  for  a  moment  at  the  general  topography 
and  resources  of  this  valuable  state,  and  to  trace  their  pro- 
gressive development  from  the  wild  woods  of  the  aboriginal 
occupants  up  to  the  present  time. 

Pennsylvania  is  about  307  miles  in  length  from  east  to 
west,  and  190  miles  in  breadth  from  north  to  south ;  and  the 
lines  of  Its  boundaries  are  so  straight  and  well  defined  as 
to  give  It  the  form  of  an  oblong  square.  It  lies  between 
the  latitude  of  39«  and  42°  N.,  and  between  the  longitude 
ol  74  and  81°  W.,  and  contains  an  area  of  47,000  square 
miles  or  29,935,200  acres.  It  is  said  that  no  region  has  yet 
been  discovered,  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  this  great 
Contment,  more  beautifully  diversified  in  surface  than  Penn- 


INTERNAL   RC80URCES. 


325 


sylvania,  or  one  in  which  a  greater  variety  of  mineral  and 

botanical  wealth  has   been    concentrated   into   a   smaUer 

space.     No  portion  of  the  whole  state  is  level  to  any  great 

T '  ?onn ''.^'■^™^  difference  of  level,  however,  not  ex- 

llTjJfLi'T^<.  '^^!.T^°^^  P°P"^^*^°"  °^  the' state  fn 
1830  was  1,048,458 ;  and  their  proportions  in  the  different 
sections  of  the  country  may  be  seen  by  this,  that  in  the  east- 
em  divisions,  near  the  cities  and  the  sea,  the  numbers  were 
77  to  the  square  mile ;  in  the  western  division,  bordering  on 
Virginia  and  Ohio,  they  were  17  to  the  square'  mile  ;  and^n 
s  uare  mHe  °^  """""^^'"^"^  P^'^«  ^^^Y  were  only  10  to  the 

The  forests  of  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania  are  described 
as  magnificent,  and  the  trees  as  large  and  as  varied  in  ' 

ThTvoU    ^'  °"  ^""^  ''^."^  °^'^^  8^°^^  °^  the  same  extent. 
The  valleys  are  remarkably  fertile  ;  and  grain,  vegetables, 
and  fruits  of  almost  every  kind  are  grown  in  abundance 
and  perfection.     Of  mineral  wealth  there  is  also  a  large 
supply    iron  and   coal,  both   anthracite   and  bituminoul 
abound,  and  mark  out  Pennsylvania  as  destined  by  Nature 
to  be  a  large  manufacturing  as  well  as  agricultural  state. 
Salt-works  exist  also  m  several  parts  of  the  country;  and 
fine  marble   of  the  most  beautiful  colour  and  textiie,  is 
^Zt  K  .tS?*"^^"t^y  ^"  «^«7  direction,  that  the  principal 
public  buildings,  and  several  private  edifices  in  Philadel- 
phia,  are  constructed  wholly  of  that  material;  while  in  some 
parts  of  the  country  even  the  farmhouses  are  built  of  this 
beautiful  stone.     Public  attention  is  sufficiently  awakened 
to  the  importance  of  all  this  wealth,  and  especially  of  the 
iron  and  coal,  the  beds  of  which  appear,  from  recent  inves. 
ligation,  to  be  inexhaustible;  there  is,  therefore,  the  strong- 
est  possible  inducement  for  capitalists  to  turn  their  atteL 
tion  to  the  workmg  of  mines  of  both,  and  establishing  man- 
ulactures  on  the  spot,  more  especially  as  the  state  is  already 
intersected  with  rivers,  canals,  and  railroads,  that  make  the 
transport  of  materials  and  ^oods  from  every  part  of  the  in- 
bined  ^°         ^^*  *  "^""'^  °*  expedition  and  economy  com- 
Already,  indeed,  may  Pennsylvania  be  considered  a  man- 
ufacturing state.     In  1836  there  were  seventy-two  cotton 
^®    .  «i?"®^'  ^"  ^^»°^  w«'e  embarked  a  capital  of  more 
than  4,000,000  of  dollars,  or  nearly  a  million  sterling,  and 
they  made,  annually,  about  twenty-five  millions  of  yards  of 
cloth.     Of  iron-works  there  were  at  the  same  time  about 
seventy  biast  and  air  furnaces,  nearly  one  himdred  forffes, 

28  ° 


320 


nNNSTLTANIA. 


thirty  rolling-mills,  and  two  hundred  manufactories  of  nciis; 
nearly  one  hundred  paper-mills,  twenty  glass-houses,  and 
about  fifty  ropewalks.  The  various  manufactories  embra- 
ced upward  of  two  hundred  ai.d  fifty  articles,  and  their 
estimated  value  exceeded  seventy  millions  of  dollars,  or 
£14,000,000  sterling. 

i  The  legislative  capital  of  Pennsylvania  is  at  Harrisburg, 
a  town  of  about  5000  inhabitants,  at  a  distance  of  100  miles 
from  Philadelphia,  and  the  same  from  Washington :  central- 
ity  of  position  in  the  state  generally  determining  the  locali- 
ty of  the  capital,  for  the  convenience  of  making  it  equally 
easy  of  access  to  the  members  of  the  Legislature  from  all  the 
different  counties.  The  great  manufacturing  town  of  Penn- 
■  sylvania  is,  however,  Pittsburg,  which  is  200  miles  west 
of  Philadelphia,  in  the  heart  of  the  iron  and  coal  district, 
and  which,  including  the  suburbs  (one  of  which  is  called 
Birmingham),  contains  a  population  of  20,000  persons,  near- 
ly all  of  whom  are  engaged  in  the  manufactories  of  iron 
earned  on  there.  The  situation  of  Pittsbiurg  is  such  as  to 
give  it  an  easy  communication  with  all  the  surrounding 
quarters,  it  being  on  a  plain  between  the  rivers  Alleghany 
and  Monongahela,  at  the  point  of  their  junction  to  form  the 
Ohio.  By  the  former  of  these  rivers  and  its  branches  it 
communicates  with  New- York.  By  the  latter  and  a  good 
road  it  communicates  with  Baltimore;  and  by  the  Ohio 
River  it  conununicates  with  all  the  great  Western  States; 
while  its  communication  with  Philadelphia  is  by  canal  and 
railroad,  as  well  as  by  ordinary  roads.  The  estimated  an- 
nual amount  of  manufactures  in  Pittsbuig  alone  exceeds 
20,000,000  of  dollars,  and  the  merchandise  passing  through 
that  city  in  various  directions  within  the  same  space  of 
time  is  estimated  at  double  that  amount  of  value  at  least. 

There  "are  many  interesting  towns  and  settlements  of  in- 
ferior importance  in  Pennsylvania,  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  Lancaster,  about  60  miles  west  of  Philadelphia, 
in  the  midst  of  an  agricultural  and  grazing  district ;  Read- 
ing, in  the  county  of  Berkshire,  a  town  inhabited  chiefly  by 
Germans,  and  occupied  with  the  manufacture  of  hats ;  Beth- 
lehem, a  Moravian  settlement,  Lebanon,  Bethany,  and  oth- 
er spots  of  Scriptural  nomenclature,  some  of  them  inhabited 
by  people  who  speak  only  German,  and  to  whom  the  Eng- 
lish language  is  literally  an  unknown  tongue. 

Such  is  the  progressive  history,  and  such  the  present  con- 
dition, of  this  large,  beautiful,  and  flourishing  state,  in  which 
climate,  soil,  and  production  are  alike  favourable  to  wealth 


rATOCRABLB  8ITB  OF  PHILADKLPHU.  387 

and  enjoyment,  and  where  the  impress  of  sobriety,  order, 
industry,  and  improvement,  originally  stamped  on  the  eouni 
try  by  Its  first  settlers,  still  continues  visible  in  the  charac- 
ter and  condition  of  their  descendants,  as  in  no  part  of  the 
Union  IS  there  to  be  seen  better  agriculture,  more  flourish- 
ing  farms,  more  thriving  manufactories,  more  useful  public 
improvements,  more  benevolent  institutions,  a  more  gener- 
al  diffusion  of  comfort,  or  a  higher  tone  of  morality,  than  in 
Pennsylvania :  consequences  and  characteristics  of  which 
its  Huaker  inhabitants  may  well  be  proud,  as  having  sprunir 
undoubtedly  from  the  character  and  policy  of  thek  ances- 
tors  who  first  colonized  it. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Name,  of  the  Streeui-Stl  o^h^'^^^rif/Z^L^^h^yJ^ '  «?«^^  -nd 


Philsdelphia  as  Works  of  Art  -Bank  of  tiTfl'finV.AH  ■;;*.",/ "•?^""="T[''*^'»""'"  <* 
-Girarrf  Hank  and  Philadelphia  Bank -CorinthtlM^rST''  °/,*'"'  Parthenon. 
Ionic  Temple  at  llyssus -&«fiv^jteH«i^^^^^^^  °^  ""S  U"'****  States.- 
tomical  Museum,  an'd  Ph  loSc"l  /pparatus -GirJ?,i  rX"  »»d.PfOKf«"--An8. 
tion.  Description  of  the  BunZrby  theSte^  Th«  wi,  *"' ^t*'"  'S'*-  ^r"''"' 
-Markets  of  Philadelphia,  SupXs -The  Nai^^^  Fair  Mount 

.,lv.ni..-V.cwsof  the'citVoa'aKo.cl^%?5'?L'/  «•""  ^'^' 

fhJ"nf  Jn'l^°"i  ''^°'^"  ^°'  ^^^  ^^^  °^  Philadelphia  is,  like 
that  of  all  the  large  maritime  cities  of  America  I  had  yet 
seen  remarkably  beautiful  and  advantageous.  A  perfectly 
level  paece  of  land,  lying  between  the  Delaware  River,  which 
bounds  It  oa  the  west,  and  the  Schuylkill  River,  forming  its 

W  iSlT  i^'  X'  \^'  '^'  «P°*  fi^^d  «"  ^«r  this  purpose 
by  Its  founder.  By  this  selection,  the  breadth  of  the  city 
waa  necessarily  limited  to  about  two  miles,  that  being  the 
distance  from  stream  to  stream ;  but  the  northern  and  south- 
em  limits  were  not  so  bounded  by  any  natural  barrier ;  and 
n  these  directions,  therefore,  the  city  might  be  made  to  ex- 
tend to  any  length.  The  original  plan  contemplated,  how- 
ever,  for  the  city  proper,  as  distinguished  from  the  suburbs, 
was  an  oblong  square,  of  about  two  miles  from  river  to  rivS 
eas    and  west,  and  one  mile  from  boundary  to  boundary 

n'oJht  r^U^.!  .^-1-"T.^  P-^-Ily  parallel  tJ 
^"^*  '■^  'ivcr,  a«u  oeing  crosseU  by  others 


Ml 


.  MNNSYLTiNU. 

of  Bimilar  dimeiuions  at  right  anglea,  ao  as  to  present  the 
most  perfect  regularity  in  all  its  parts.  Space  was  left 
in  this  design  for  several  open  squares  in  different  quarters 
of  the  city,  with  lawns  of  grass,  gravelled  walks,  and  over- 
shadowing trees ;  and  nothing  seemed  wanting  in  the  de- 
sign  to  unite  beauty,  salubrity,  and  convenience. 

The  original  plan  has  been  generally  followed  out,  with 
Btrict  regard  to  the  wUl  of  the  founder,  with  these  excep- 
tions  only :  that  there  yet  remains  a  portion  to  be  filled  up 
in  the  western  division  of  the  city  near  the  SchuylkiU ;  and 
that  on  the  north  and  south,  in  the  eastern  division,  alonir 
the  more  frequented  banks  of  the  Delaware,  the  suburlw 
irom  Kensington  and  Spring  Gardens  on  the  north,  to  South- 
wark  and  Greenwich  on  the  south,  have  extended  in  each 
direction  so  as  to  make  the  whole  length  of  the  continuous 
range  of  houses  nearly  five  miles  from  north  to  south,  while 
tne  breadth  does  not  exceed  two  from  east  to  west 

The  Delaware,  which  washes  Philadelphia  on  the  east,  is 
a  noble  stream,  rising  in  the  State  of  New- York  about  300 
imles  above  the  point  of  its  junction  with  the  sea,  and  flow- 
mg  southward  through  Pennsylvania,  separating  it  on  tH 
west  from  the  State  of  New-Jersey  on  the  east,  and  flow, 
mg  into  the  great  bay  of  the  Delaware  below  Philadelphia, 
from  whence  to  the  sea  it  is  navigable  for  ships  of  120 
guns,  and  communicates  readily  with  the  Atlantic.  It  is  by 
this  river,  therefore,  that  all  the  maritime  commerce  of  Phil- 
adelphia  is  carried  on. 

The  Schuylkill  is  a  smaller  stream,  though  navigable  for 
schooners,  sloops,  and  steamers  of  moderate  burden ;  it  is 
beautifully  picturesque  in  many  of  its  windings,  where  slo- 
ping  lawns,  forest  trees,  and  prettily  scattered  villas  adorn 
Its  banks. 

The  streets  are  not  only  symmetrical  in  their  relative  po- 
sition  to  each  other,  but  they  are  generally  uniform  in  their 
dimensions ;  the  number  of  the  streets  is  about  600,  and 
tlieir  breadth  is,  on  the  average,  firom  40  to  80  feet.     The  two 
largest  of  the  transverse  streets,  which  form  a  sort  of  cross 
running  Jjirough  the  centre  of  the  city,  the  one  from  east  to 
west,  called  High-street  or  Market-street,  and  the   other 
from  north  to  south,  called  Broad-street,  are,  the  former 
iOO,  and  the  latter  113  feet  broad,  and  they  have  each  a 
raihroad  running  through  them.     The  carriage-ways  of  all 
the  streets  are  paved  with  stone  (excepting  only  a  small  por- 
tion  where  an  experiment  is  trying,  to  pave  with  octagonal 
blocks  of  wood),  though  not  so  evenly  as  in  the  cities  of 


PAVRMXNT8. — TRKI8. — NAMBS   OF   STREETS. 


829 


England.  The  side-pavements,  which  are  of  a  wcll-pro- 
portioned  height  and  breadth,  are  formed  of  diagonally-pla- 
ced  bricks,  and  are  more  agreeable  to  walk  on  than  the  flaa 
pavements  of  London.  ' 

,  Yj?,°^8r^*  ^^«  greatest  beauty,  however,  to  the  streets 
ol  i'hiladelphia  is  this,  that  along  the  edge  of  the  side-pave- 
ments, at  intervals  of  a  few  feet  apart,  run  beautiful  rows  of 
trees,  which,  when  in  fuU  foliage,  give  a  verdure,  freshness, 
coolness,  and  shade  most  agreeable  to  the  eye,  and  most 
delicious  to  the  feelings  of  the  passenger.  Scarcely  any- 
thing  can  be  imagined  more  beautiful,  in  streets  at  least, 
than  the  sight  of  one  of  these  long  avenues,  reaching  from 
the  Delaware  to  the  Schulykill,  a  length  of  two  miles,  lined 
with  trees  throughout  the  whole  way,  and  the  termination 
ol  the  vista  at  each  extremity  reposing  on  the  opposite 
banks  of  the  respective  streams. 

In  the  streets  running  north  and  south,  the  trees  flourish 
best  on  both  sides,  as  there  each  has  the  advantage  of  the 
sun  for  a  portion  of  the  day;  but  in  the  streets  running  east 
and  west,  the  trees  flourish  best  on  the  north  side,  from  their 
having  the  sun  during  many  hours,  while  those  on  the  south 
side  have  only  the  beams  of  the  rising  and  setting  sun,  and 
that  only  when  he  is  north  of  the  equator,  so  that  they  are 
here  fewer  in  number,  and  do  not  flourish  so  well. 

Tlie  arrangement  of  the  names  of  the  streets  is  such  as 
make»  it  perfectly  easy  for  a  stranger  to  find  his  way  over 
every  paft  of  the  city  with  ease.     The  streets  running  east 
and  west,  from  river  to  river,  are  generally  called  by  proper 
names,  after  some  tree  of  the  forest.     The  streets  intersect- 
ing them,  and  running  north  and  south,  are  called  numeri- 
cally, beginning  from  each  river  front,  and  advancing  till 
they  meet  in  the  centre.     For  instance,  the  first  street  west- 
ward from  the  Delaware,  and  running  nearly  parallel  with 
it,  is  called  Front-street,  the  next  beyond  it  westward  is 
called  Second-street,  then  Third-street,  and  so  on  till  Thir- 
teenth-street, which  is  near  the  centre  of  the  city.     In  the 
same  manner,  the  first  street  eastward  from  the  Schuylkill, 
and  running  nearly  parallel  with  it,  is   called  Schuylkill 
Front,  the  next  Schuylkill  Second,  then  Schuylkill  Third, 
and  so  on  till  it  meets  the  thirteenth  street  counting  from 
the  Delaware  side,  and  thus  fills  up  the  whole  breadth  of 
the  city. 

The  numbers  of  the  houses  follow  in  the  same  order  of 
enumeration,  beginning  from  the  river  on  each  side,  and 
going  on  to  the  centre  of  the  citv.  the  evfin  niimh«»i-9  Koin« 

Vol.  L— T  t  "  ° 


aao 


riNNIVLTAlfU. 


on  the  south  and  the  odd  numbers  on  the  north  side.  The 
custom  is,  however,  to  name  the  positions  of  certain  build- 
ings,  shops,  or  houses,  not  so  much  by  their  numbers  as  their 
relative  positions  with  respect  to  streets.  Thus  it  would  be 
•aid,  "  Mr.  A.  lives  in  Walnut,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth," 
the  word  "  street"  being  rarely  mentioned ;  and  by  this  de- 
scription the  stranger  knows,  within  a  very  few  doors,  where 
the  residence  or  building  he  is  in  search  of  may  be  found ; 
as  he  has  only  to  enter  Walnut-street,  and  walk  onward  till 
he  gets  between  Ninth  and  Tenth  streets,  and  the  locality  is 
found.  ' 

The  names  of  the  streets,  it  has  been  observed,  are  mostly 
derived  from  forest  trees,  and  it  is  said  that  each  street  was 
called  after  the  particular  kind  of  tree  that  grew  on  the  spot 
where  the  street  itself  now  stands.  The  sylvan  origin  of  the 
city  is  thus  strikingly  preserved  in  its  nomenclature ;  and  the 
following,  selected  from  the  alphabetical  lists  of  the  streets, 
will  show  to  what  extent  this  has  been  carried :  Acorn,  Al- 
der,  Ahnond,  Apple,  Ash,  Aspen,  Beech,  Blackberry,  Cedar, 
Cherry,  Chesnut,  Clover,  Currant,  Cypress,  Elm,  Filbert, 
Grape,  Juniper,  Laurel,  Lemon,  Locust,  Magnolia,  Maple, 
Melon,  Mulberry,  Oak,  Olive,  Orange,  Peach,  Pear,  Pine 
Plum,  Poplar,  Prune,  Quince,  Raspberry,  Rose,  Sassafras. 
Spruce,  Strawberry,  Vine,  Walnut,  and  Willow. 

The  private  dwellings  are  almost  uniformly  built  of  red 
brick,  well  executed,  and  the  entrance  to  all  the  best  houses 
w  by  a  flight  of  marble  steps,  generally  edged  with  an  iron 
balustrade,  and  sometimes  terminated  by  a  small  and  neat 
portico  of  gray  or  white  marble  columns.  The  brasswork 
of  the  railmgs  and  doors  is  always  in  a  high  state  of  polish  • 
the  doors  are  usually  painted  white,  and  often  ornamented 
with  carvmgs  or  mouldings  in  panels ;  the  window-glass  is 
uivariably  beautifully  clean,  and  the  aspect  of  the  whole 
presents  a  corabinatio^  of  purity,  comfort,  and  repose. 

In  the  Ulterior  decorations  and  furniture  of  the  houses  we 
visited  there  was  less  of  ostentatious  display  than  in  New- 
York,  but  more  luxurious  ease  than  in  Baltimore ;  and,  above 
aU,  an  undisturbed  serenity  peculiar  to  this  city,  and  quite 
m  harmony  with  its  Quaker  origin.    There  are  of  course 
here,  as  everywhere,  manv  houses  of  inferior  size  and  quali- 
ty ;  but  there  are  fewer  ot  these  ,  in  proportion  to  the  whole 
number  in  Philadelphia,  than  in  any  city  we  had  yet  visited.    ' 
Oil  the  other  hand,  there  are  some  few  mansions  that  would 
be  accounted  spacious  and  beautiful  even  in  London.    That 
Of  Mr.  Newkirk,  a  wealthy  merchant,  in  Arch-street,  built 


'  BOlRDmo-HOUglS.— PtBLIC    BOILDINOg.  881 

Wholly  of  white  marble,  with  a  noble  and  chaste  Ionic  por- 
tico  m  front,  i«  in  the  best  taste  for  its  architecture,  LndL 
beautiful  as  it  is  chaste.  ' 

thnT*"^  /  M^'  '^  Philadelphia  are  much  more  elegant  than 

nuZrL!^"'^J;'^  °'  ^"*""'°'«-  ««"»«  «f  »hose  in  Chcs" 
nut.streel    which  corresponds  to  the  Broadway  of  New- 

York  and  Regent-street  of  London~as  uniting  the  fashion- 
Ludi^t""lf  n"*^  .'^°PP'".?  promenade-are  eqSal  toTy  o„ 

n(VL^T\  ore  neither  so  large  nor  so  comfortable  as  those 
of  New-York  or  Baltimore.  There  is  nothing  like  the  As^r 
House  for  size,  nor  the  Eutaw  for  convenience ;  though  the 
a^l  eTeUentrt'l''^  Merchants',  and  the  Waihingto'L  Ire 
lishmen  of  t^^^^^^^^  and  superior  to  any  of  the  oldlr  estab, 
iisnments  ol  the  same  kind  in  the  city. 

i«  5 h®,.^°"ding.hou8e8  are  about  the  same  in  character  and 
m  quality  as  those  in  the  two  other  cities  named.  The  same 
inconveniences  attach  to  them  in  quite  as  large  a  deZe! 

llt^X'-  °^  ^''f  ^''  ''  ^^^^  P««*  ««*^«»'  and  before  dgh 
the  tab  e  is  entirely  cleared.     The  dinner  is  at  two,  and  be- 

Suw'rnnl  ^  sl^eping-room  of  the  boarders  is  their  only 
sitting.room,  in  which  they  can  be  alone  by  day,  as  the 

fsT3"tC  Tk"'"""  *"  .f  '  «"^  *^«  doLsti^c  served 
It  th.  Jf'  that  nothing  is  well  cooked  or  well  served,  even 
at  the  regular  hours ;  and  if  the  meals  are  not  taken  then, 
nothing  can  be  had  at  any  other  hours  of  the  day.  ' 

C.1  fn  pf  P"^^'°  ^."^^'^i"g«  *>f  Philadelphia,  the  iirJt  in  histori- 
cal  inter  at  and  importance  is  undoubtedly  the  Old  State 
House  or  Independence  Hall,  as  it  is  now  more  generally 
iavTn^h/^^'  ^'  '  ^"?f  '".^*  °Jdfashioned  brick  slucfu  ^^ 
lvT?h.  "^^^"'Tr^  '"  ^^^^  ^"^  fi"^«hed  in  1734,  near- 
ly  m  the  middle  of  the  busmess-part  of  the  city,  its  northern 
front  being  towards  Chesnut-street,  and  its  souftern  f^ont  to" 

7^U.A  1  5"^  T"  ^ 'o^'^'  "^^^  P^^»t^d  ^ith  large  trees,  and 
called  Independence  Square,  where  public  political  meetings 
are  most  frequently  held.  The  State  House  presents  a^ 
extensive  facade ;  and  from  its  centre  rises  a  small  open 
tower  from  whence  the  best  view  of  the  interior  of  the  city 

W  th«  T^^^'  ^^^  ^^^'  P"*  °^  *he  building  is  occupied 
oLi  ^'^y,*'^"'^  and  offices  connected  with  the  municipal 
government ;  and  m  the  upper  part  is  the  room  in  which  the 
trst  American  Congress  sat,  and  in  which  the  original  Dec- 
-  -_ j"...-..v«tc  uj  ixic   wiuiea  states  was  lust 


332 


PKNNSTLTANIA. 


ratified  and  signed  by  the  leaders  of  the  Revolution.  The 
room  is,  from  this  circumstance,  called  Independence  Hall ; 
and  with  a  people  so  sensitively  alive  as  even  the  most  ap- 
athetic of  the  Americans  are  to  everything  connected  vtrith 
this  great  foundation  of  their  independence  and  their  liber- 
ties, it  may  easily  be  imagined  how  warmly  they  cherish 
and  how  deeply  they  venerate  everything  connected  with 
this,  to  them,  classical  and  hallowed  apartment. 

It  appears  that,  some  time  since,  the  ruling  authorities  of 
the  city  made  some  alterations  in  this  room  which  disturbed 
its  identity ;  but  the  spirit  of  the  people,  roused  by  what  they 
considered  a  desecration  of  this  cherished  relic,  had  the 
changes  speedily  removed,  and  the  room  restored  as  nearly 
as  possible  to  the  state  in  which  it  was  when  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  there  receivedjts  signatures ;  in  which  con- 
dition it  is  now  shown  with  enthusiasm  to  all  strangers  visit- 
ing Philadelphia. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  old  bell  which  occupied  the  open 
tower  or  cupola  of  this  State  House,  and  which  was  used 
for  the  purpose  of  assembling  the  people  in  Colonial  times, 
had  cast  on  it  as  a  motto  the  following  quotation  from  the 
Old  Testament :  "  Proclaim  liberty  throughout  the  land,  to 
all  the  people  thereof."  The  bell  still  occupies  its  original 
position  ;  and,  having  fulfilled  the  injunction  inscribed  upon 
its  surface,  by  announcing  to  the  inhabitants  of  Philadelphia 
the  signature  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  it  is  pre- 
served with  as  much  veneration  as  the  Hall  itself;  and  both 
will,  no  doubt,  be  carefully  guarded  to  the  latest  posterity. 
Some  spirited  lines,  addressed  to  the  Old  State  House  by 
an  American  poet,  Andrew  M'Makin,  are  seen  here,  prece- 
ded by  the  motto  from  our  own  poet,  Thomas  Campbell, 

"  Thy  spirit,  Independence,  let  me  share, 
Lord  of  the  lion  heart  and  eagle  eye :" 

and  the  following  stanzas  breathe  the  spirit  and  feeling  that 
seem  to  animate  every  American  bosom  when  visiting  this 
honoured  edifice  : 

"  Cradle  of  Independence,  hail ! 

Within  thy  walls  first  breathed  the  fire 
Which,  Heaven-directed,  shall  prevail. 
Till  Time's  own  pojwer  itself  expire. 

"  That  band  of  patriot  heroes  here 

In  conclave  pledged  their  life  and  fame, 
To  guard  their  country's  honour  dear, 
And  kindle  glory  round  her  name. 

•'  Brave  ancient  pile !  long  mayst  thou  trace 
i  The  sacred  spot  first  blazon'd  Free! 

And  no  rude  Goth  one  stone  displace, 


THE  MESCHANT's  XXCHANGE. 


333 


The  associations  which  this  venerable  pile  must  always 
awaken  in  the  breast  of  the  American  patriot  can  hardly  faU 
to  be  agreeable ;  and  it  stands  so  entirely  in  the  centre  of 
the  bustle  of  the  town,  that  no  one  can  visit  Philadelphia 
without  seemg  it,  or  without  being  pleased  with  its  many  in- 
terestmg  objects.  In  front  of  it  is  a  broad  brick  pavement, 
forming  an  excellent  promenade,  and  two  rows  of  trees 
afford  an  avenue  of  delightful  verdure  and  shade  for  the 
passengers.  The  square  behind  was  the  favourite  place  of 
resort  and  deliberation  for  Wasftngton,  Hancock,  Franklin, 
and  the  great  men  of  the  Revolution ;  and  it,  and  the  al- 
most adjoming  space  of  Washington  Square,  are  still  among 
the  naost  open,  welLplanted,  and  agreeable  public  walks  of 
the  city.  , 

The  Merchants'  Exchange  is  another  of  the  public  build- 
mgs  that  does  great  honour  to  Philadelphia.  It  occupies  the 
angle  at  the  junction  of  Walnut  and  Third  streets,  and  is 
said  to  stand  on  the  exact  spot  where  formerly  was  a  small 
stream  with  a  beaver's  dam,  at  the  edge  of  an  Indian  settle- 
"*®"^*  f  T*  structure  is  a  very  handsome  one,  from  the  de- 
sign of  Mr.  Strickland,  the  city  architect.  It  is  built  of 
white  marble  from  the  quarries  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
semicurcular  projecting  front  which  it  presents  towards  Dock- 


street,  with  its  fine  rotunda,  colonnade,  and  tower,  gives  an 
air  of  great  architectural  beauty  to  the  whole  building.  In 
the  interior  of  the  rotunda  are  some  fine  designs  in  alto-re- 
lievo, by  an  Italian  artist,  Monachesi,  and  the  floor  is  inlaid 
with  mosaic  work.  A  spacious  reading-room,  furnished 
with  papers  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  is  constantly  filled 


334 


PkHNSYLTAHIA. 


with  readers ;  and  around,  and  connected  with  the  building, 
are  the  Postoffice,  insurance  companies,  and  many  other 
public  establishments  connected  with  navigation  and  com- 
merce, so  that  it  is  always  a  very  busy  and  animated  scene. 

The  hvLtika  of  Philadelphia  may  well  be  numbered  among 
the  public  edifices ;  and,  taken  as  a  whole,  are  certainly 
more  beautiful,  as  '.vorks  of  architecture,  than  those  of  any 
other  city  I  remember,  not  even  excepting  Ijondon  or  Paris. 

The  Bank  of  the  United  States,  which  is  in  Chesnut- 
street,  immediately  opposit*to  the  United  States  Hotel,  is 
a  perfect  specimen  of  the  pure  Doric  temples  of  the  Greeks, 
It  is  said,  indeed,  to  be  a  copy  of  the  Temple  of  the  Parthe- 
non at  Athens;  but  this  is  hardly  correct,  as  it  is  inferior 
in  size,  and  wants  also  the  peripteral  colonnade  which  sur- 
rounds that  edifice,  this  having  only  the  portico  in  front. 


The  whole  edifice  is,  however,  in  such  good  proportions, 
so  chastely  free  from  all  spurious  decoration,  so  simple  and 
majestic  in  its  ascending  flights  of  steps,  running  the  whole 
length  of  the  front,  with  balustrade  or  surbasem6nt,  and  is, 
moreover,  built  of  such  fine  large  blocks  of  pure  and  almost 
Parian  marble,  that  it  may  be  pronounced  one  of  the  best 
specimens  of  the  Doric,  in  the  purest  times  of  Greek  archi- 
tecture, to  be  seen  anywhere  out  of  Greece  itself.  Its 
length  is  161  feet,  and  breadth  87.  The  portico  has  eight 
fluted  Doric  pillars  of  4^  feet  diameter.  The  interior  is 
Ionic,  the  banking-room  being  81  feet  long  and  48  wide,  and 
it  has  lightnes. ,  space,  simplicity,  and  convenience,  imited 
in  the  highest  \  ossible  degree. 

The    Girard     klnnlr.     in     ThirH-atvaat      ia    o    nnKIa    atvMnfiira 


PUBLIC  BUILSINOg. 


335 


rl!fm^'*'**  V*?  u.***^  ^'*"'*T**  P"'^*****  «^  Corinthian  fluted 
columns,  and  entablatures  of  sculptured  designs. 


'r«r  «:■;!.' 


The  Philadelphia  Bank,  in  Chesnut-street,  also  of  the 
Corinthian  order,  presents  a  fine  facade  of  white  marble, 
and  an  elevated  portico.  And  the  United  States  Mint,  in 
Chesnut-street,  farther  to  the  west,  is  a  fine  Ionic  structure, 
built  by  tb-  .  architect,  Mr.  Strickland,  from  drawings 
and  measuxt  leiits  of  a  beautiful  Ionic  temple  of  the  Greeks 
on  the  banks  of  the  River  Ilyssus,  near  Athens.  This  also 
IS  bm.t  entirely  of  the  pure  white  marble  which  abounds  in 
renijsylvania,  and  than  which  the  famed  quarries  of  Paros 
or  Pentehcus  could  hardly  furnish  a  better. 

The  public  edifices  connected  with  education  ere  numer- 
ous, but  only  a  few  of  them  are  remarkable  for  their  size  or 
architectural  beauty.  The  public  and  private  schools  are 
commodious,  and  well  adapted  to  their  respective  purposes, 
but  ofter  little  attraction  in  their  appearance. 

The  University  of  Philadelphia  is  now  the  principal  pub- 
lie  mstitution  of  this  description.     It  was  originally  a  char- 
ity school,  and  afterward  an  academy,  and  as  such  it  was 
endowed  and  chartered  in  1753.     It  was  erected  into  a  col- 
lege in  1779,  three  years  after  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence ;  and  in  1789  it  received  the  dignity  of  a  University. 
Its  tuition  embraces  the  four  departments  of  arts,  medicine 
natural  science,  and  law;  it  has  four  professors  of  arts,  five 
of  natural  science,  one  of  law,  and  seven  of  medicine.     In 
the  latter  branch  alone,  upward  of  500  students  receive  in- 
siruciion  every  year,  and  about  an  equal  number  in  aU  the 


336 


ntRNSTLVAKIA. 


Other  departments  collectively.  There  is  a  fine  anatomical 
museum  belonging  to  the  University,  und  its  philosophical 
and  chymical  apparatus  are  equal  to  that  of  any  similar  in- 
stitution in  Europe.  I  had  the  pleapure  to  see  them  all, 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Hares,  the  celebrated  inventor  of 
the  improved  blowing  pipe,  who  is  professor  of  chymistry  in 
the  institution.  The  buildings  of  the  University,  of  which 
there  are  two,  are  situated  in  North-street.  They  are  five 
substantial  mansions,  without  much  decoration,  but  in  good 
taste ;  and  being  surrounded  with  ample  space,  and  a  fine 
grassplat  in  front,  between  each  other,  they  present  a  good 
appearance  to  the  view. 

The  Girard  College,  now  in  the  cotsrse  of  erection  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Philadelphia,  will  be  one  of  the  finest  edi- 
fices of  modern  times  as  a  work  of  art  alone,  and  a  monu^ 
ment  of  private  munificence  to  the  cause  of  education,  such 
as  few  countries  in  the  world  possess.  The  large  siun  of 
two  millions  of  dollars  was  given  at  his  death  by  Mr.  Ste- 
phen Girard,  the  rich  banker  of  Philadelphia,  recently  de- 
ceased, to  build  this  college,  for  the  education  of  such  or- 
phans as  were  without  the  means  of  otherwise  obtaining  it. 

Mr.  Girard  was  a  Frenchman  of  the  humblest  origin, 
and  came  to  this  city  a  poor  man.  By  great  industry, 
shrewdness,  parsimony,  and  good  fortune — ^for  his  success 
was  owing  to  a  combination  of  all  these — he  acquired  im- 
mense wealth,  and  at  his  death  left  seven  millions  of  dol- 
lars,  two  millions  of  which  were  given  for  the  erection  of 
the  buildings  of  this  institution,  and  the  residue  of  his  es- 
tate, after  paying  some  inconsiderable  legacies,  was  appro- 
priated to  its  endowment ;  so  that  it  is  thought  there  will  be 
at  the  least  a  fund  of  five  millions  of  dollars,  or  one  million 
sterling,  as  a  permanent  investment ;  the  interest  of  which, 
in  this  country  not  less  than  £60,000  sterling  per  annum » 
will  be  at  the  disposal  of  the  trustees  for  annual  expenditure. 

A  remarkable  condition  of  this  institution,  enjoined  by 
the  will  of  Mr.  Girard,  is  this,  that  "  no  clergyman,  preach- 
er, teacher,  or  minister  of  any  sect  of  religion,  shall  have 
any  share  in  the  trusteeship,  management,  direction,  or  tui- 
tion of  the  college ;  but  from  all  these  shall  be  absolutely 
and  forever  excluded."  The  motive  for  this  condition  is 
alleged  to  have  been  his  determination  to  guard  against  any 
possible  sectarian  predominance,  from  a  belief  that  it  would 
operate,  if  established,  disadvantageously  to  the  just  distri- 
bution of  the  privileges  of  the  institution  to  the  various 
claimants  for  admission,  according  to  their  respective  modes 
of  faith. 


QIRARD  COLLIOE. 


337 


Mr.  Girard  was  himself,  nominally,  a  Roman  Catholic. 
His  directions  respecting  the  building  of  the  college,  which 
were  very  circumstantial  and  minute,  ordered  that  it  should 
be  a  plain  substantial  structure.  But  the  executors,  to  whom 
the  expenditure  of  the  money  is  intrusted,  having  ascer- 
tained that  his  directions  could  not  be  literally  and  exactly 
complied  with  in  every  particular,  have  exercised  their  dis- 
cretion  in  departing  from  the  design  of  the  foun(fer  in  this 
particular ;  and  it  will  no  doubt  form  as  superb  an  edifice 
as  the  most  ardent  admirer  of  the  splendid  and  the  beauti- 
ful could  desire. 

The  foundation-stone  of  the  building  was  laid  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1833  (the  57th  anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of 
American  Independence),  with  becoming  honours,  by  the 
architect,  Thomas  U.  Walter,  surrounded  by  the  civic  au- 
thorities and  the  building-committee,  with  an  immense  con- 
course of  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  on  which  occasion  a 
very  eloquent  and  appropriate  address  was  delivered  by 
Mr.  Nicholas  Biddle,  the  celebrated  financier  of  America, 
and  president  of  the  United  States  Bank,  I  insert  this  ad- 
dress in  the  Appendix,  among  the  other  documents  worthy 
of  preservation,  as  illustrating  the  state  of  the  country ;  first, 
because  it  furnishes  the  best  abstract  of  the  origin,  nature, 
and  design  of  the  institution  itself,  and  next,  because  it  is  a 
Sne  specimen  of  the  learning,  ability,  and  good  taste  which 
characterize  its  accomplished  author,  and  which  is  admitted 
by  those  most  hostile  to  him  in  his  financial  capacity.  # 

We  had  the  advantage  of  seeing  this  noble  structure, 
now  rapidly  advancing  towards  completion,  twice ;  once 
■under  the  guidance  of  the  benevolent  philanthropist,  Mr. 
Matthew  Carey,  of  this  city,  and  next,  in  company  with  the 
architect  himself,  by  whom  the  following  brief  but  accurate 
description  of  the  building  was  furnished  to  me  : 

The  Girard  College  is  situated  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
northwest  of  the  centre  of  the  city,  on  a  tract  of  land  con- 
taining forty-five  acres,  the  whole  of  which  was  appropria- 
ted by  Mr.  Girard  exclusively  to  the  purposes  of  the  insti- 
tution. 

The  main  buildjng,  which  is  the  subject  of  this  descrip- 
tion, is  composed  in  the  Corinthian  order  of  Grecian  archi- 
tecture ;  it  covers  a  space  of  184  by  243  feet,  and  consists 
of  an  octastyle  peripteral  superstructure,  resting  upon  a 
basement  of  eight  feet  in  height,  composed  entirely  of  steps 
extending  around  the  whole  edifice,  by  which  a  pyramidal 


Vol.  L—U  u 


'  See  Appendix  ^o,  vli. 

29 


388 


PBNNiTLVAJIIA. 


appearance  is  given  to  the  substruction,  and  a  means  of  ap- 
preach  to  the  porticoes  afforded  from  every  side.  The  di- 
mensions of  the  stylobate  (or  platform  on  which  the  col- 
umns  stand)  are  159  feet  on  the  fronts  by  217  feet  on  the 
flanks ;  and  the  cell,  or  body  of  the  building,  measures  111 
feet  by  169  feet  2  inches.  The  whole  height  from  the 
ground  to  the  apex  of  the  roof  is  100  feet. 

The  columns  are  thirty-four  in  number  ;  the  diameter  of 
the  shaft  at  the  top  of  the  base  is  six  feet,  and  at  the  bottom 
of  the  capital  five  feet ;  the  height  of  the  capital  is  eight 
feet  SIX  inches,  and  its  width  from  the  extreme  corners  of 
the  abacus  nine  feet ;  the  whole  height  of  the  column,  in- 
cluding capital  and  base,  is  fifty-five  feet. 

The^entablature  is  sixteen  feet  three  inches  high,  and  the 
greatest  projection  of  the  cornice  from  the  face  of  the  frieze 
is  four  feet  nine  inches ;  the  elevation  of  the  pediment  is 
twenty  feet  five  inches,  being-one  ninth  of  the  span. 

The  capitals  of  the  columns  are  proportioned  from  those 
of  the  monument  of  Lysicrates  at  Athens ;  they  are  divided 
in  height  mto  four  courses :  the  first  embraces  the  water 
leaf,  and  consists  of  a  single  stone  of  seventeen  inches  in 
thickness ;  the  second  course  is  also  composed  of  a  single 
stone,  the  height  of  which  is  two  feet  ten  inches ;  the  annu- 
lar  row  of  acanthus  leaves  occupies  the  whole  of  this 
course ;  the  third  division  of  the  capital  embraces  the  vo- 
lutes  and  the  cauliculi ;  this  course,  which  is  likewise  two 
teet  ten  mches  m  height,  is  composed  of  two  pieces,  having 
the  vertical  jomt  between  the  cauUculi  on  two  opposite  fa- 
ces ;  the  fourth  or  upper  course,  being  the  abacus,  is  one 
loot  nve  mches  m  height. 

The  ceiling  of  the  portico  wiU  be  formed  by  beams  rest- 
mg  on  the  tenia,  and  extending  from  the  cell  of  the  building 
to  the  colonnade  opposite  to  each  column;  the  spaces  be- 
tween  the  beams  will  be  filled  in  with  rich  lacanaria. 

The  corners  of  the  building  are  finished  with  massive 
antffi,  havmg  bases  and  capitals  composed  upon  the  princi- 
pies  of  Grecian  architecture. 

The  flanks  of  the  cell  are  pierced  with  windows,  which 
are  ornamented  with  the  Greek  antae,  surmounted  with  ar- 
chitraves  and  comities. 

The  doors  of  entrance  are  in  the  centre  of  the  north  and 
south  fronts ;  they  are  each  sixteen  feet  wide  in  the  clear 
by  thu-ty-two  feet  high ;  their  outside  finish  consists  of  ante- 
pagmenta  of  two  feet  seven  inches  wide,  the  supercilium 
ol  which  is  surmounted  with  a  frieze  and  cornice ;  the  cor- 


GIRARD  COLLBOB. 


339 


nice  is  supported  by  rich  consoles  of  six  and  a  half  feet  in 
height,  and  the  cymatium  is  ornamented  with  sculptured 
honeysuckles.  The  exterior  of  the  whole  structure  will  be 
composed  of  fine  white  marble,  slightly  tinted  with  blue. 

The  vestibules,  which  are  approached  by  means  of  the 
doors  at  each  end  of  the  building,  are  ornamented  with 
marble  antes,  columns,  and  entablature  of  the  Greek  Ionic 
order,  which  support  a  vaulted  ceiling,  consisting  of  elliptic 
cal  groin  arches,  enriched  with  frets,  guilloches,  and  lacu- 
naria  ;  the  columns,  winch  are  sixteen  in  number,  will  each 
be  composed  of  a  single  piece  of  marble ;  the  proportions 
of  the  order  are  from  the  temple  on  the  Ilyssus  at  Athens. 

The  lobbies  in  the  second  story  are  directly  over  the  ves- 
tibules, and  occupy  the  same  space.  The  columns  in  this 
story,  which  are  also  sixteen  in  number,  will  be  composed 
in  the  simplest  form  of  Corinthian  or  foliated  architecture, 
proportioned  from  those  of  the  tower  of  Andronicus  Cyr- 
rhestes  at  Athens ;  the  entablature  will  be  surmounted  with 
groin  arches,  s'unilar  to  those  in  the  vestibules,  the  soffits  of 
which  will  be  enriched  with  lacunaria. 

The  stairways  will  all  be  composed  of  marble  ;  they  will 
be  constructed  in  the  four  corners  of  the  building,  each  oc- 
cupying a  space  of  twenty-two  by  twenty-six  feet,  extend- 
ing the  whole  height  of  the  edifice ;  these  openings  will 
each  be  crowned  with  a  pendentive  parabolic  dome,  sur- 
mounted with  a  skylight  of  ten  feet  in  diameter ;  the  height 
of  the  skylight  from  the  floor  will  be  eighty  feet. 

The  building  is  three  stories  in  height ;  each  of  which  is 
twenty-five  feet  from  floor  to  floor :  there  are  iom  rooms  of 
fifty  feet  square  in  each  story.  Those  of  the  first  and  sec» 
ond  stories  are  vaulted  with  groin  arches,  and  those  of  the 
third  story  with  domes  supported  on  pendenti^'cs,  v/hich 
spring  from  the  corners  of  the  rooms  at  the  floor,  and  asi- 
sume  the  form  of  a  circle  on  the  horizontal  section  at  the 
height  of  nineteen  feet.  These  rooms  are  lighted  by  means 
of  skylights  of  sixteen  feet  in  diameter.  All  the  domes  t ,  s 
terminated  below  the  plane  of  the  roof,  and  the  skylights 
are  designed  to  project  but  one  foot  above,  so  as  not  to  in- 
terfere with  the  character  of  the  architecture. 

The  whole  building  will  be  warmed  by  means  of  furnaces 
placed  in  the  cellar,  and  every  apartment  will  be  ventila- 
ted upon  philosophical  principles. 

For  my  own  part,  having  examined  this  building  with 
more  than  usual  scrutiny,  I  am  prepai-ed  to  say,  that  in  no 
country  have  I  ever  seen,  eitner  among  tue 


■^  >  I 


~f 


*1 ;„^     ..  


340 


PBNNSTLTAMIA. 


or  the  works  of  modem  days,  a  more  beautiful  structure 
than  this,  or  one  in  which  chasteness  of  design,  richness  of 
decoration,  and  exquisite  skill  of  workmanship  were  more 
happily  combined;  yet  every  part  of  it  is  of  unassisted 
American  execution.  When  the  grounds  are  completed, 
and  the  trees  around  it  fuU  grown,  it  will  be  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  spots  in  the  country,  and  well  reward  a  visit  to 
Philadelphia. 


Ciwh  ^^?'"''°?  **  K^^  M°"nt  may  take  rank  with  the 
U-irard  College,  if  not  for  architectural  taste,  yet  for  its 
charming  situation,  its  agreeable  prospects,  audits  combina- 
^n  of  beauty,  simplicity,  and  utility  in  the  highest  degree. 
We  visited  this  spot  early  after  our  arrival  in  Philadelphia, 
and  were  sufficiently  pleased  with  the  excursion  to  repeat  it 
more  than  once  afterward ;  as  a  place  of  summer  resort  it 

th?,  tZ  W°'''/     ^^^'^  ^  «  ^"^g«  across  the  river  near 
this,  which  furnishes  a  good  specimen  of  the  difference  bp- 
tween  these  structures  in  England  and  America.     With  us 
bridges  are  almost  wholly  constructed  of  stone  ;  in  the  Uni-* 

wU^"  P  T  g""r*"y  °^  ^°°^'  a»^  "e  enclosed 
with  sides  and  roofs,  so  that  they  foim  long  arched  tunnels 
oyer  the  streams,  with  windows  on  each  side  for  light  and 
air.  Ihis  IS  said  to  be  necessary  to  their  preservation  :  as 
the  ram,  snov^,  and  sun,  each  operating  powerfully  in  sue 
cession,  would  soon  otherwise  rot  the  wood,  and  destroy  the 
whole  structure.  ■^ 

Fair  Mount,  the  original  name  of  the  hill  which  occupies 
this  locality  rising  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Schuylkill  to 
a  considerable  height  above  the  top  of  the  loftiest  houses  in 


SOPPLY   OP  WATSR. 


«il 


Philadelphia,  was  thought  to  be  an  eligible  spot  on  which  to 
construct  a  reservoir  of  water,  from  whence  the  city  might 
be  supplied  by  pipes  at  all  seasons.  The  determination 
being  made  to  effect  this,  the  top  of  the  hill  was  scarped 
down  to  form  a  level  platform ;  and  this,  extended  by  em- 
bankments on  either  side,  was  made  sufficiently  spacious  to 
admit  of  several  large  basins  or  reservoirs  being  excavated 
therein,  to  contain  the  water  required. 

The  next  process  was  to  construct  a  dam  across  the 
Schuylkill  River,  at  this  point  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
broad,  and  then  erect  large  water-wheels,  to  be  moved  by 
the  current  of  the  stream  drawn  from  the  dam  ;  these  wheels, 
putting  in  motion  the  requisite  number  of  forcing-pumps, 
propel  the  water  from  the  river  to  the  reservoirs,  a  perpen- 
dicular height  of  about  fifty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  stream. 
From  theince,  being  at  least  fifty  feet  higher  than  the  general 
level  of  the  houses  in  Philadelphia,  it  is  readily  conveyed 
to  all  the  houses  requiring  it,  in  every  part  of  the  city.  The 
power  of  this  simple  machinery  is  sufficient  to  supply  the 
city  with  twenty  millions  of  gallons  of  water  per  day,  if  so 
much  were  needed ;  but  the  actual  consumption  of  the  city 
is  about  ten  millions  of  gallons  per  day  in  the  summer,  and 
five  millions  of  gallons  per  day  in  the  winter,  the  wheels 
never  being  impeded  in  their  motion  by  the  ice,  however 
tlfick,  and  an  undercurrent  being  always  available,  in  the 
severest  winter,  to  keep  up  the  continuous  supply. 

The  expense  of  this  luxury  is,  on  the  average,  from  three 
to  five  doWars  yearly  only  for  an  entire  family.  The  whole 
cost  of  the  works,  from  first  to  last,  including  the  spacious 
grounds  and  shrubberies  attached,  and  the  commodious 
house  of  entertainment  for  visiters,  with  all  its  auxiliaries, 
has  been  about  a  million  of  dollars ;  but  it  pays  ample  in- 
terest, and  is  a  most  profitable  and  economical  outlay.  The 
scenery  of  the  surrounding  region  is  extremely  beautiful ; 
the  prospect  from  the  eminences,  to  which  flights  of  stairs 
ascend,  is  extensive  ;  and  the  whole  aspect  of  the  place  is 
that  of  enjoyment  and  repose. 

While  the  city  is  thus  abundantly  and  cheaply  supplied 
with  water,  care  has  been  taken  to  secure  an  equally  easy 
and  abundant  supply  of  all  the  other  provisions  of  life. 
Market-street,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  High-street,  is 
the  central  one  of  the  parallel  streets  that  run  from  the  Del- 
aware to  the  Schuylkill  east  and  west,  and  it  is  nearly 
double  the  breadth  of  all  the  other  streets  of  the  city,  ex- 
cepting OR*y  tiiG  transverse  osntrst  otreet  c&Iicu  Sroud-strcet, 


848 


PXNN8Y1TANIA. 


Which  crosses  it  at  right  angles  from  north  to  south,  and  in- 
tersects the  city  into  four  quarters  by  a  perfect  cross.     Mar- 
ket-street is  12,500  feet  in  length  from  river  to  river,  and 
about  150  feet  in  breadth.     Along  the  centre  of  it  runs  the 
covered  ways  for  the  public  markets,  one  of  which,  from  the 
Delaware  westward,  is  a  mile  in  length.     The  interior  is  ad- 
mirably arranged  for  the  purpose,  and  well  sheltered  ;  and 
in  the  space  on  each  side  is  the  railway,  communicating 
between  Baltimore   and  New- York  through  Philadelphia. 
The  markets  of  this  cay  are  accounted  the  best  in  the  Uni- 
ted  States  for  abundancse,  good  quality,  and  cheapness  in  the 
supplies.     They  are  opened  at  daylight ;  and  so  early  are  the 
hours  of  business  here  among  all  classes,  that  before  eight 
o  clock  in  the  morning  the  markets  are  almost  all  cleared. 

The  Navy.yard  at  T  liiladelphia,  which  is  seated  on  the 
Bouthern  extremity  of  the  city  by  Southwark  and  Greenwich, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Delaware,  differs  in  nothing  from 
those  of  New- York  and  Washington,  being  provided  with 
all  the  necessary  conveniences  and  materials  for  building 
and  equipping  ships  of  the  largest  size,  but  not  possessing, 
as  in  the  British  navy-yards,  dry  docks  for  repairs.     One  of 
the  largest  ships  in  the  world  has  recently  been  built  at  this 
navy.yard,  and  named  the  Pennsylvania.    She  is  pierced  for 
130  guns  of  the  largest  calibre,  and  is  several  hundred  tons 
larger  than  the  largest  ship-of-war  in  any  European  navy. 
She  had  sailed  for  Norfolk  before  my  arrival ;  but  I  have 
been  assured  by  competent  and  impartial  judges,  that  she 
was  as  beautiful  in  form  and  model  as  she  was  stviLendous 
m  size  and  strength,  which  I  can  readily  believe,  a»  no  can- 
did  seaman  would  deny  that,  in  their  ehips  of  war  ^s  well 
as  in  their  merchant  vessels,  the  Americans  have  evineed  a 
decided  superiority  in  taste  to  their  British  progenitors. 

The  appearance  of  the  navy.yard  on  the  approach  to  the 
city  by  the  Delaware  is  very  striking :  the  immense  covered 
shed  under  which  the  Pennsylvania  was  built  is  still  erect 
looking  like  a  gigantic  magazine,  being  270  feet  long,  84 
wide,  and  103  feet  high,  and  towering  above  all  the  other 
buildings,  except  the  steeples  of  the  city  ;  while  a  sweep  of 
the  shore  beyond,  in  a  graceful  concave  curve,  exhibits  the 
long  line  of  the  city-wharves,  with  innunierablf  ships  and 
smaller  craft,  as  far  as  Kensington,  the  suburb  which  termi- 
nates the  northern  view  in  the  distance. 


PRiaOMI   or   raiLAOBLPHU. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

^•^"T,"^  Reformation  in  Philadelphia.— Vi.lt  to  the  Priion  of  Moyameneing.— 8t«l« 
•nd  Condition  of  tbii  Establiahirent.— 8tati«tica  of  Crime  and  Diwase. -Pergonal 
inapection  of  the  Convicta  at  tbeir  Labour. -Effecla  of  Solitary  Confinement  without 
La^ur— Benehca  of  Solitary  Confinement  with  Labour— The  Eaatern  Penitentiary 
or  State  Prison.— Statistics  of  Crime  and  Disease  there.— Proportions  ol  Natives  and 
toreigners,  and  while  and  coloured  Races.— Churches  of  Philadelphia,  old  and  new 
—Religious  Sects,  mid  their  comparative  Numbers.— Kstabliehmenta  for  Education 
pubUc  and  private.— Report  on  the  State  of  Education  in  Pennaylvania— Philosophi- 
cal Society  and  Atheneum.— Hietorical  Relics  in  the  Athenawjm.-Charactero/ it* 
Secretary,  Mr.  John  VaMhan.-Charar t'ristic  Letter  of  Benjamin  Franklin.-Tomb 
of  Franklin  in  Philadelphia.-Epitaph.-Pbiladelphia  Library.— Franklin  Institute  — 
Academv  of  Sciencea.— New  Museum.— Musical  fund  Hall.— Public  Concerta.— 
Public  Square*  for  Promenades.— NewBpaperB.—Periodical8.— Bookstores. 

The  prisons  of  Philadelphia  are  remarkable  for  their  struc- 
ture as  edifices,  and  still  more  so  for  their  excellence  in  ar- 
rangement, efficiency  in  discipline,  and,  above  all,  in  their 
conduciveness  to  the  reformation  of  the  unhappy  victims 
who  become  their  inmates.     There  is  perhaps  nothing  in 
all  the  institutions  of  the  country  ir   which  the  Americans 
manifest  a  greater  superiority  to  the  English  than  in  their 
treatment  ol  prisoners.     It  is  matter  of  common  observation 
in  England  that,  owing  to  the  congregated  manner  in  which 
criminals  live  in  the  prisons  at  home,  few  ever  come  out 
without  being  made  more  immoral  by  contamination  than 
when  they  went  in,  and  none  appear  to  come  out  less  so. 
In  this  country,  on  the  contrary,  there  are  none  who  come 
out  worse,  but  almost  all  are  made  better  by  their  confine- 
ment  in  solitary  cells,  substituting  habits  of  industry,  ord  r, 
cleanliness,  and  reflection  for  those  of  idleness,  disorder, 
fillh,  and  recklessness,  and  placing  themselves  in  a  fair  way 
to  recommence  life  anew  in  an  honest  and  useful  career. 
In  a  national  point  of  view,  perhaps,  there  is  no  object  of 
greater  importance  than  this ;  and  I  was  therefore  anxious 
to  examine  the  prisons  of  Philadelphia,  and  investigate  their 
system  of  discipline  in  detail. 

The  iirst  that  we  visited  was  the  county  prison,  in  the 
suburb  or  quarter  of  Philadelphia  called  Moyamensing,  to 
the  south  of  the  city.  We  had  the  advantage  of  being  at- 
tended there  by  the  architect  who  built  it,  Mr.  Walker,  and 
who  was  thoroughly  conversant  with  all  its  arrangemenu. 
This  building  is  of  comparatively  recent  erection,  and  is 
made  to  contain  the  prisoners  that  were  formerly  confined 


jaus  V/ithiii  the  ciiy;  ii  being  the  wise  policy  of 


^44 


»SirN>rLTAWIA. 


the  present  race  to  remove  from  the  interior  of  the  cities  in 
America  two  descriptions  of  public  works  that  ought  never 
to  have  been  placed  amid  congregated  dwellings,  namely, 
prisons  for  the  confinement  and  reformation  of  oriminnls, 
and  cemeteries  for  the  burial  of  the  dead  ;  both  of  whi(!h  are 
now  fast  removing  to  the  suburbs  and  surrounding  country. 
The  building  is  constructed  in  what  i  called  the  castella- 
ted style,  and  is  extremely  massive,  with  large  gates,  battle- 
ments,  turrets,  and  tower.     It  is  buUt  of  a  fine  bluish-gray 


granite,  admirably  worked,  with  deep-set,  pointed-arch  win- 
dows, in  oak  frames,  and  long  narrow  slits  in  the  turrets 
and  tower,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  baronial  castle  of 
the  feudal  ages ;  and,  as  a  work  of  architecture,  it  is  highly 
imposing.     It  was  commenced  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of  the 
State  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  in  1831,  and  was  comple- 
ted in  1836,  at  a  cost  of  300,000  dollars,  or  about  60,000/. 
The  sale,  however,  of  the  land  on  which  the  other  prisons 
stood  in  the  city,  at  the  enhanced  value  of  such  property, 
with  the  disposal  of  their  materials,  and  the  saving  iu  the 
co-operative  management  of  three  prisons  combined  in  one, 
more  than  reimburses  the  whole  outlay,  and  makes  it  a  mat- 
ter of  actual  profit,  in  a  pecuniary  sense,  to  the  fupds  of  the 
state. 

The  interior  is  so  constructed  as  that  each  prisoner,  what- 
ever the  nature  of  his  offence  or  the  term  of  his  confine- 
ment, has  a  separate  cell  or  room  to  himself.  Long  ave- 
nues or  corridors,  leading  from  a  common  centre,  extending 
nearly  400  feet  in  a  straight  line,  and  being  about  20  feet  in 
bteadth,  have  on  each  f*ide  three  rows  of  these  separate 


PRIION   ITATISTICt. 

f«T;ni!rl**?„"i'"P"**'  '"*'"'^'  ^*  '""'^'"^  """^  numbered 
for  registry  and  luspection,  to  the  extent  of  204  cells  in 

each  corridor ;  each  of  the  stories  is  approached  by  a  long 

uon  bakony,  and  iron  bridges  cross  the  corridor  at  inter? 

l^  tn  K  *"""■'?  T^'""^  "^  '^^^^  apartments,  and  found 
eacH,  to  be  a  vaulted  room  about  twelve  feet  by  ten.  and 
about  twelve  feet  high,  with  a  large  grated  w  dow  fo^'lighl 
and  a,r.  and  apertu.os  in  the  wails  for  <1raught  ven^la  ion 

ness,  and  the  total  absence  of  any  disagr.    able  ?^mell.     oueh 

there  IS  a  well-concealed  closet  in  each  ..om.  ou  tsc    con- 

structed  as  to  ensure  its  own  purificatior* ;    vh>h    "ater  from 

he  Pair  Mount  Waterworks,  some  mUes  oft,  «  c^nve^ed 

w  t  c  ean  bedstead,  with  excellent  bedding,  a  chair,  table 
w,      clean  Imen,  a  box  for  clothes,  and  a  BibI*.  '  ' 

.  xcept  the  solitude,  there  was  nothing  that  had  tb/-  air  of 

and  artisans  of  Britain  live  in  far  inferior  apartments  The 
entrance  into  each  cell  is  by  a  double  dooV,  the  ou'er  one 
being  a  solid  mass  of  iron,  with  bolts  and  birs,  and  theTn! 
Zn??'  'T'^*'^  ^"^^^  ''  ^y  *he  thickness  of  the  wall 
whic  hToril'"  '"  "P^"  grating  work  of  iron,  through 
Which  the  prisoner  can  at  any  time  be  seen  by  the  insDeet 
or,  and  a  small  hatch,  through  which  his  food  and  ohefne 

wZr%'Kr  r^^y^^  *°  ^""-  '^he  tempe,  ature  of  ?he 
whole  establishment  is  regulated  by  flues,  so  tbat  no  fires 
are  necessary  in  any  of  the  cells  or  co^idors,  whi^e  the 

tttdlviSs"  '  '^"  ^''''''  '^  ''^  '^^^'  -^  ^^^-  o? 

pH^""/!?  ^1^  '^'f  ^"*  ^T'  1^  '  «  committee  was  appoint- 
oon^ft     '  Vfrt'"''"  °^  P«n"  ylvania  to  examine  into  the 

wn  to  the  sta  e.  The  mvestigation  appears  to  have  been 
conducted  with  ^great  impartiality  .nd  fdrness,  andlL  sta" 
tist  ca  information  obtained  by  these  inquiries  was  eminent- 
ly  useful  and  instructive.     The  substance  of  their  report  Tn 

IVrth^brt^lSei^  ^--  -"^^--  ^«  ^^ 
aud  condition.  --«»»,  mru  csamuic  mio  m  aiaid 


346 


PKNNSTLYAMIA. 


"  There  are  also  a  superintendent  and  matron,  who  reside  in  the  in- 
'stitution,  and  are  prohibited  from  absenting  themselves  for  a  single 
night,  unless  with  the  consent  of  two  inspectors,  in  writing;  and  the 
matron  must  also  have  the  consent  of  the  superintendent.  The  apart- 
ment occupied  by  the  females  is  under  the  special  charge  of  the  ma- 
tron. It  is  made  the  duty  of  the  keepers  to  inspect  the  condition  of  the 
prisoners  committed  to  their  care  at  least  twice  a  day,  and  oftener  if 
practicable.  The  physician  is  required  to  visit  the  prison  once  a  day, 
and  prescribe  for  the  sick,  and  once  a  month  to  see  every  convict,  and 
report  tnonthly  in  writing  to  the  inspectors. 

"  Agreeably  to  the  act  of  April,  1835,  persons  convicted  of  any  crime, 
the  punishment  of  which  would  be  imprisonment  in  the  jail  and  peni- 
tentiary-house of  Philadelphia  for  a  period  of  time  under  two  years, 
are  required  to  be  sent  into  this  prison,  to  be  kept  in  separate  and  soli- 
tary confinement  at  labour. 

"  The  number  of  persons  committed  from  June  1st,  1836,  till  Decem- 
ber 31st  of  the  same  year,  was  2576,  exclusive  of  those  received  from 
the  Arch-street  prison.    The  whole  number  of  commitments  during  the 
year  1837  was  4279.    The  total  number  of  convictions,  366;  the  num- 
ber discharged  by  the  magistrates  who  issued  the  commitments,  1798 
and  the  total  number  enlarged  by  the  judges  of  the  courts,  attorney-gen 
eral,  inspectors,  and  other  persons,  and  in  due  course  of  law,  is  2048 
deaths,  4.  • 

"  Different  kinds  of  mechanical  pursuits  are  carried  on  in  the  prison ; 
such  as  cordwaining  in  all  its  branches,  manufacture  of  checks  and 
plaids,  the  cabinet  business,  blacksmithing,  &c.  The  manufactures  are 
sold  by  an  agent  or  commission  merchant,  who  is  directed  to  obtain  the 
highest  price.  The  proceeds  of  the  articles  sold  are  vested  in  the  gen- 
eral fund,  for  the  purpose  of  providing  the  raw  material  and  tools  used 
in  manufacturing ;  and  in  case  there  is  a  surplus,  it  is  applied  towards 
defraying  the  annual  expenditure  of  the  prison.  In  order  to  encourage 
habits  of  mdustry,  an  account  is  kept  with  each  prisoner  at  work,  and 
when  discharged,  if  he  has  accomplished  more  than  was  assigned  him 
to  do,  the  inspectors  pay  the  prisoner  one  half  of  the  value  of  the  over- 
work. This  practice,  while  it  tends  to  stimulate  the  unfortunate  con- 
vict to  greater  industry,  at  the  same  time  furnishes  him  the  means  of 
subsistence  for  a  short  period  after,  by  pardon  or  expiration  of  the  sen- 
tence, he  obtains  his  liberty.  It  is  certainly  best  that  prisoners  should 
not  be  set  at  large  perfectly  destitute,  and  thereby  exposed  to  induce- 
ments to  the  commission  of  crime,  which  hunger  and  want  of  the  ne- 
cessary comforts  may  occason. 

"  It  is  found  that,  with  but  rare  exceptions,  the  prisoners  prefer  !n- 
FUjyment,  as  a  means  of  rendering  the  solitary  confinement  more  toler- 
able  ;  and  as  a  consequence,  the  entire  establishment,  under  the  skilful 
management  of  its  ofHcers,  exhibits  an  interesting  scene  of  almost  con- 
stant and  systematic  industry. 

"It  is  true  that  prisoners,  being  received  under  the  law  into  this  prison 
for  crimes  of  the  inferior  grades,  are  usually  sentenced  by  the  court  for 
periods  too  short  to  enable  those  who  have  no  trade  to  become  very 
proficient;  yet  still  it  is  found  they  can  soon  be  taught  so  as  to  be  use- 
ful. The  statistics  of  the  institution  prove  that  a  large  proportion  of 
those  annually  committed  are  either  without  any  trades,  or  possessing 
&  very  imperfect  knowledge  of  those  they  profess,  and  many  cannot 
read  or  write.  ^  r  ,  , 

"The  object  of  the  separate  confinement  being  the  reformation  and 
instruction  of  the  prisoners,  the  efforts  of  the  officers  of  the  institution 
are  greatly  aided  by  the  humane  exertions  of  some  benevolent  aasoeia- 
liyiis  m  the  City  of  Philadelphia.    Among  these  is  the  « Philadelphia 


PRISON   STATISTICS. 


Sit 


t^nltttSrrS/^^^^^^^^^  .This  associa. 

ed  prisoners,'  was  orig  nXKed  fn  17?«  InJ  '^"rf  ""'"^'"8  '^''""»«- 
ful  existence  was  dissolved  inTe  vp«ri7?7f'  H^'  *  '•'°"  '»'»  use- 

and  philosophic  theZ  of  preveS  iv«"S,?r/r'''  '•''  '•*'^"'^«  *!>«  J'"™^"* 
the  separate  confinement  and  insELtlr'^^'"''"^  punishments,  by 
test  of  succeS  Sment     ThP^^^^^^^  ^^^  ""«'""« 

are  under  the  law,  oXf^vSterJ      ''''"^  '°'"™'"^«  "^  ^^'^  «°«'«»y 

are  o£veTSh  Stv^  n^nV'*""'''''"'"*'  *^«  injunctions  of  the  law 
cleanlSranrneuSss^^^^^^^^^^  3/''"^  ?'"  '"^^C  ^^^^^'"'^''y  »<>  thT 
healthful  aDDearance  of  ?h»  .  ^  '?"'  ^"*^  *'^°  ^'^  »he  cleanliness  and 

those  tredESntenced  as  we?lTs  thf^ ''^' .  '^^'  P"^'^""^'  b«'^ 
entirely  satisfied  witUheirtrrfmpf,/*'"^^^^^  *?P'«««  themselves 

cers,and  admit  ?hr\heyweSweU^^^^^  a^SXC  ^f^^  °^  *^  °'«- 
as  they  could  be  in  a  life  of  solilude  ^'  ^"^  "'  comfortable 

to  the''idmiLie"'X'ftrcells  'canTaveT*^  "'^'"^'^  ^"'^^  "^'"^ 
each  other.    The  eel  s  beina  sSo^fi      *^®  "°  communication  with 

and  heated  in  such  mLneJIis  toTomlm"'^^^  ''^  ^^^^^^'  ventilated, 

personal  comfort  of  trTmaJes     The  sunin.r''^''^,/"  ^^e  health  and 

of  punishment  is  manifSrbv  thp  f„^^^«>f'?'^.^''*=^"®^^^ 

less  than  it  was  i^C  Arch  s^r^e?  faS     vL'r^  "*'!:*^"'^  ''  ^'^^^'^y 

phia  county  prison  '^  The  nrindnL  nf  in  ^'T"""^/  '°  ^''^  P^^^adel- 
out.  without  Sny  exceotioS  Fn  thi^^L  ^?'''^^  confinement  is  carried 
and  sentencedfbut  tfe  Se?  of  v^^^^^  ,^ho  have  been  tried 

niitted  upon  complaints,  of  whi?hLn^^^^^  others  who  are  com. 

to  be  groundless  so  fill*  thJ^l^?        ^  *'®  frivolous,  and  some  turn  out 

ty  forSEfg  twoTn  ?£  samSSrin^'tr'^'l^^^'^^  *«  "«*'«  «  "^'^esT 
stancefhoweverare  the  differen  «p J«  ""^"'.^  apartment.  In  no  in- 
with  each  other  "*  ^^""^^  permitted  to  see  or  converse 

and  '^'SSre^ZtTti:^  "BZ.Zl}''?  ''''  °^  ,^^'  ^«^«' 
nearly  filled  with  prisonerrfromfhf  ill  .^®  ?^  ¥^'"^  ''^^^  »»  once 
who  U  been  accSomed  to  ^olaiHv;!^^' *  ^ndWalnut-street  jails, 
indulged  in  mingline  in  earh  nS  ^®'^  ^""^^  discipline,  and  to  be 
had  iS  the  S  tVbe  encoSlredint^L'^"*'  ^''^^^ver  difficulties 
duce  the  penitentian^  8v«f«m  «f  •  u  ^^^  benevolent  efifbrt  to  iniro- 
cipline  anSnomTin  Ae  r/aJeTe^^^^^^  *  ^^^ 

of  an  p'er?orcha?Xith"crS'"'''"*"^'  '^««""«'*  ^r  the  reception 
of  the  city  Lco?ntyTfpSEln\?^^^^  ^V^^'  ^  population  as  that 
averages  Jer  ann^i  about  2^ iA ftf '  »""«*  necessarily  be  great:  i^ 
little  consideratS  wheS  Jon?;fiJ''"?vf\  ^^'''  however,  mints  buL 

point  of  viewTthat'fl^wl^rom  Sf  w^^^^  ^T^  •^"'''''' '"  *  "'°'«1 
.%oductiono^ 

=^«-c«„u  «,  ;ae  principles  of  morality  andTnTomeTf 'tfe'l^lchaS' 


S48 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


arts,  it  is  confidently  believed,  has  had  an  eflfect,  to  a  certain  extent  at 
least,  or  not  only  working  relbrmation,  but  of  deterring  others  from  the 
perpetration  of  crime,  and  of  breaking  up  companies  of  dissolute  men 
who  were  associated  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  livelihoods  by  stealing 
and  other  unlawful  means." 

' ' '  • 

From  the  statistical  tables  accompanying  the  report  the 
following  facts  are  selected.  Of  the  numbers  committed  to 
this  prison  in  one  year,  1837,  the  total  was  4279.  The  lar- 
gest numbers  were  :  for  drunkenness,  156 ;  stealing,  762  ; 
assault  and  battery,  962.  The  smallest  numbers  were: 
sending  a  challenge,  1 ;  robbery,  1 ;  manslaughter,  1.  Of 
218  convicts,  that  were  taken  as  an  average  from  the  whole 
number  for  examination  into  their  condition  and  habits,  it 
was  found  that  69  could  neither  read  nor  write,  58  could 
read  only,  and  91  could  read  and  write.  Of  the  same  num- 
ber, 134  were  of  intemperate  habits,  35  moderate  in  their 
wse  of  drink,  and  49  were  abstemious  or  more  moderate : 
but  there  were  none  who  abstained  altogether  from  strong 
drink :  187  were  convicted  for  the  first  time,  29  for  the  sec- 
ond time,  and  two  for  the  third  time.  Of  206  untried  pris- 
oners in  the  institution,  128  were  intemperate,  48  moderate, 
and  29  abstemious  in  their  use  of  strong  drinks ;  110  could 
neither  read  nor  write,  41  could  read,  and  54  could  read 
and  write.  The  cases  of  disease  that  occurred  in  the  prison 
in  1837  were  113,  oi  which  91  were  cured,  nine  relieved, 
and  13  died.  The  cases  of  syphilis  were  31 ;  of  delirium 
tremens,  30 ;  of  fever,  12 ;  of  consumption,  eight.  In  all 
these  cases  the  coloured  persons  were  more  numerous  than 
the  whites,  in  the  proportion  of  about  three  to  two,  which  is 
the  usual  proportion  of  their  numbers  in  the  institution  gen- 
erally. 

We  saw  many  of  the  convicts  at  their  labour ;  some  weav- 
ing at  a  small  loom  in  their  own  cell,  others  making  shoes, 
and  some  engaged  in  other  occupations.  The  prisoners,  as 
they  came  in  for  different  offences  and  for  different  periods, 
and  as  they  are  also  of  very  different  dispositions,  are  not 
all  treated  alike.  The  severest  punishment  is  confinement 
without  labour,  in  a  dark  cell,  on  half  a  pound  of  bread  per 
day.  A  step  less  severe  is  to  admit  light,  and  the  usual 
sqpply  of  food,  but  to  deny  the  prisoner  the  pleasure  of  la- 
blaring,  by  taking  away  his  work  and  all  the  materials  of  it. 
4frhi8  is  in  general  found  to  be  severe  enough  to  bring  «them 
td4  sense  of  duty,  and  to  make  th^pa  entreat  for  the  restora- 
Jwi  of  their  labour  on  almost  any  terms. 

It  has  been  found,  indeed-  thitt  sftlitsT'*' 


ndwtaman*  -arUln. 


% 


PHIZUDSLPHU  PRISONS. 


849 


S«f  T'n     °°uP'^^?"«^^'^^^^  produce  insanity;  but  with 
labour  It  aUows  the  fullest  scope  for  reflection,  and  thus  nio 
duces  the  best  kind  of  moral  reformation ;  go;2  reSns 
founded  on  a  conviction  of  their  utility  to  the  interesteoTie 

dustry  to  the  indolent,  preserves  such  habits  to  those  in  whom 
hey  were  only  broken  or  suspended,  and  lays  up  foTt^ 

self-mamtenance  has  been  performed,  a  sum  that  enable! 
h.m  to  remove  himself  from  the  place  of  his  SsgJaceTo  o^ 

small  capital  in  money  and  an  unsuspected  reputation.    An 
instance  recently  occurred  in  which  a  discharged  indiVidutl 
who  had  been  confined  for  the  full  term  of  two  yeawrSad 

Jr^'abtlTarsferlrng':™  "^  '''  ^'^'^^^  ^'  ^  --  '^<^^^ 

Since  the  completion  of  the  prison  for  criminals,  a  smaller 

county-prison  for  deHtors  has  been  erected  near  to  h,Sn! 

infik^'thri^^'^P'^"-  ^^''  i^J'""*  °^  ^  '«d  freest;^  not 
cade  i«  tL?^«7  '  granite  of  Egypt  in  colour;  and  th^  fa- 
rnn?J  f  ft  " "  ^gyP^^^n  temple,  the  details  being  all 
copied  from  til.  ..  ^t  French  work  on  Egypt ;  their  4^ 
bination  being  tue  architect's  own.  As  Si^object  for  the 
tlV'  "/°*r«t^°g;  but  it  affects  the  heart  Ld  under! 
standmg  far  from  agreeably  to  see  that,  amid  so  much  in- 
tell  gence  and  benevolence  es  characteri:.e  the  instituSons 

aLved  Tt"h7/'"''""y\'^'  P^^P^^  «^°"ld  "°t  y«t  h«ve 
i^Ztn  .t  ^^^T^'-y  that  imprisonment  for  debt  is  as 

injurious  to  the  creditor  as  it  is  to  the  debtor,  and  even  in 

ttt^lc  ^itJJd'"  ^^'^^''^^  ''  '''  ^"^  ^^^^-^^*-  ^ 

o„  Jrt^r^nT?h"i^r,'*t"^^"y'  "^^""^  ^  «^t"at«d  in  the  opposite 
quarter  of  Philadephia,  in  the  northwest  suburbs,  Tthe 

whT;PM ''"'  '^^-  '''.^°/  *^^  ^hole  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
while  Moyamensing  is  for  the  city  and-county  of  Philadel' 
pnia  only.  It  is  consequently  on  a  much  larger  scale,  beinjr 
indeed  one  of  the  largest  prisons  in  the  United  States,  and 
covers  about  ten  acres  of  ground.  Tiis  was  opened  in 
IS^y,  since  which,  however,  several  additions  have  been 

w«n!n?  '%  .^^V^^'  ""^^  °^  enc2osure  rises  up  like  the 
walls  01  a  tortified  town ;  and  the  gates,  towers,  and  battle- 
ments  give  it  the  air  of  a  military  fortress  rather  than  of  a 
prison.  In  the  mterior  are  eight  long  avenues  or  corridors, 
all  radiatmg  from  a  common  centre,  called  the  Observatory, 
m  tx.e  eouf  tyard,  from  whence  the  superintendent  can  look 

30 


850 


nMNSTLTANIA. 


u 


down  each  and  see  whatever  is  passing  in  front  of  all  the 
cells,  which  are  constructed  generally  in  the  same  manner 
as  those  of  Moyamensing ;  the  principle  of  solitary  confinc- 
ment,  with  labour,  being  the  same  in  each. 

The  whole  number  of  prisoners  confined  here  since  its 
first  opening  in  1829  has  been  858,  of  whom,  during  the 
nme  years  that  have  elapsed,  381  were  discharged  by  the 
expiration  of  their  sentences,  39  by  pardon,  and  50  died : 
of  these,  719  were  native-born  Americans,  and  139  were 
foreigners ;  422  could  read  and  write,  232  could  read  only, 
and  204  could  neither  read  nor  write:  532  were  white 
males,  12  only  white  females ;  290  were  coloured  males, 
and  24  only  coloured  females.  The  mortahty  during  this 
period  averaged  only  3  per  cent,  on  the  whole  number  con- 
fined.  At  the  present  time,  the  total  number  of  the  inmates 
is  387,  of  whom  224  are  white  males,  5  white  females,  144 
coloured  males,  and  14  coloured  females. 

The  state  and  condition  of  this  establishment,  in  clean- 
liness,  health,  order,  and  good  discipline,  is  not  inferior  to 
that  of  the  county  prison  ahready  described ;  and  both  might 
serve  as  admirable  models  for  any  country  in  Europe,  as 
they  effect,  what  few  other  prisons  ever  do,  the  reformation, 
as  well  as  the  punishment,  of  the  criminal,  instead  of  ma- 
king this  last,  as  the  older  establishments  of  Europe  have 
mostly  hitherto  done,  the  only  end  and  aim  of  imprisonment. 
The  churches  of  Philadelphia  are  as  numerous  in  oropor- 
tron  to  the  population  of  the  city  as  in  New- York,  and  more 
numerous  than  in  any  city  or  town  in  England ;  they  are, 
inoreoyer,  all  remarkable  for  the  great  simplicity  and  beauty 
of  their  interiors,  the  admirable  arrangements  for  the  com- 
J"^*  u  *^^  worshippers,  and  the  happy  union  of  the  solemn, 
the  chaste,  and  the  beautiful.     The  only  exception  to  this 
ft  Pf  i^f^  ^^  t^e  florid  interior  of  the  Catholic  Church  of 
bt.  John  s,  though  even  this  harmonizes  well  with  the  gor- 
geous  dresses  and  pompous  ceremonies  that  characterize  the 
worship  of  this  body  of  Christians. 

n^^^  J^I.^®^*  °^  ^^^  religious  edifices  in  Philadelphia  is 
Christ  Church,  which  was  first  erected  in  1695.  It  was 
then  only  one  story  high,  and  so  low  that  a  tall  person  could 
touch  the  ceding  with  his  hand.  Its  belfry  was  the  fork  of 
an  old  tree  near  it,  on  vrhioh  was  hung  the  bell  that  sura- 
moned  the  worshippers  to  service ;  this  was  truly  a  primi- 
tive  church.  In  1708  a  service  of  sacramental  vessels,  in 
silver,  was  presented  to  it  by  Queen  Anne ;  in  1710  it  was 
enlarged ;  in  1727  a  new  western  end  was  built ;  in  1731 


CHURCHES   AMD   8BCT8. 


sn 


wLrrrtillThr?VT^^'*l^'  ^"^  ^^  ^^^  t^e  steeple, 
Which  18  sun  the  loftiest  in  the  city,  beinir  196  feet  hiffh 

was  completed.     It  is  curious  that  the  sum  rSed  for  fhe 

erection  of  this  was  by  means  of  a  lottery,  after  which  Jhere 

was  another  lottery  for  the  benefit  of  the  vestry !     This  was 

36  000     T^  "^^  *^T"  °^  ^«^«»^^1  '"^^^^^^  the  sum  of 
36,000  dollars  was  thus  obtained.     A  peal  of  eight  beUs 

sTe'lir"  :?"  rT^  ^'•^"^  Englandf  at  a  cost^  £9^0 

Jll«  H?H  "^^'^  '^^^  ""'^'^  P"^  "P  ^"'l  '»"g.  they  were 

regarded  as  so  great  a  novelty,  that  pedple  came  from  the 

soSd8°"  D.?  "'^^T'  ^"  ^'^1  numbers  to  listen  to  their 
sounds.     During  the  contests  of  the  Revolutionary  War  they 

serv!   f '"  ?"""  ?ti^  •'""^^  ^"  '^'  ^i^«'  Delaware,  ?o  pre^ 
serve  them  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Brit  sh.  but 

tTe'sVi^gr    *"  *'^"  °"S^""^  P^^-  ^^^«^  *he  cessaSn  of 

nl«^p!  T'^  modern  churches  are  among  the  most  beautiful 
places  of  worship  that  can  be  seen,  combining  ample  ac 
commodation,  great  comfort,  simplicity,  chaste^  ornament, 
and  beautiful  proportions  in  a  very  high  degree  :  their  whole 
number  exceeds  a  hundred ;  the^efvices^in  all    whe^ht 
Episcopalian  or  othora,  «  characterised  by  more  solemnity 
and  earnestness  of  devotion  than  in  England.     The  organs 
and  choirs  are  uniformly  excellent,  and  the  music  far  above 
the  general  standard  of  church  music  in  England      The 
clergy  of  each  denomination-for  here  all  minitters  of  reli- 
gion  are  called  clergy,  and  all  places  of  worship  churches, 
the  terms  "dissentmg  mmisters"  and  "dissenters'  chapels" 
being  unknown— are  almost  uniformly  well-educated  and 
gentlemanly  men,  and,  above  all,  persons  of  pure  morals 
and   unquestionable  integrity,  for  without  these  .qualifica- 
av^a  "hem"'''""^      attainments  or  extent  of  patronage  would 

Of  the  religious  sects,  the  Presbyterians  are  the  most  nu- 
merous,  having  ,n  this  state  450  churches,  250  clergymen, 
and  about  50,000  communicants.     These  are  about  to  sep* 
arate,  however,  into  two  bodies,  the  old  and  the  new  school, 
on  some  points  of  difference  as  to  church  government  as 
well  as  of  doctrine.     The  Methodists  b^ve  more  than  50,000 
members ;  the  Baptists  come  next ;  thPu  the  Episcopalians : 
and  lastly  the  Quakers,  now  divided  into  two  bodies,  the 
Orthodox,  or  old  Quakers  of  Penn's  school,  and  the  uiita- 
rian,  or  new  body  of  Hicksites.     The  Unitar  ans  have  only 
five  con^egations  in  the  state ;  but  the  German  Reformed 
and  the  Koman  Cnthnlin  nU.^y.r.u^^ ,  ,      . 

It  IS  alleged,  are  upon  the  increase. 


358 


PlWNSrtVAIflA. 


i^^.Si 


WH 


,r  Establishments  for  education  are  sufficiently  patronised 
and  supported  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  itself,  both  in  pub- 
lic or  common  schoola,  Sunday-schools,  and  private  semi- 
naries,  of  which  tl  ?  lunaber  i*  con  /Kterable.    But  in  the  in- 
tenor  of  the  statt ,  vrli^^e  the  desc«;VM]?;nts  of  the  Dutch  and 
Uerman  settlers  am  not  ,^<!  much  feHre  to  the  importance  of 
education,  the  8cbo>Is  we  feiy  and   slightly  attended.    On 
this  subject  the  following  is  the  kuguj^ge  of  the  last  report 
ot  the  Pennsylvania  Society  for  the  promotion  of  Public 
8chcM>b:  "Thete  are  at  least  400,000  children  in  Pennsyl- 
vaina  between  the  ages  of  five  and  fifteen.    Of  these,  du- 
nng  the  par*  year,  there  weie  not  150,000  in  aU  the  schools 
ol  the  siHte      Many  counties,  townships,  and  villages  have 
been  taken  ndisonmiiiately  from  all  parts  of  the  state  ;  and, 
on  exammetiofc,  the  a.  rage  proportion  of  children  educa- 
ted  in  any  one  year,  compared  with  the  entire  number  of 
children  between  the  specified  ages,  appears  to  be  only  one 
out  of  three.     It  is  probable  that  this  proportion  prevails 
generally  throughout  Pennsylvania,  and  justifies  the  asser- 
tion  that  more  limn  250,000  children  capable  of  instruction 
were  not  withiu  a  school  during  the  past  year.     Many  of 
tnese  children  na -er  go  to  sohool  at  all." 

Among  the  higher  establishments  connected  with  litera- 
ture and  the  promotion  of  general  knowledge,  the  Philo- 
^ff'T\  ??^^«*y'  ^^^ose  rooms  are  now  the  Athensum  of 
Philadelphia,  takes  a  very  high  rank;  it  grew  out  of  two 
societies  originally  founded  by  Benjamin  Franklin :  the  one 

fjr^'^^^l  ^^^  *'^^^  ^^  "T*^«  J"nt°'"  and  the  other  in 
1744,  under  the  name  of  «  The  American  Philosophical  So- 
ciety »     These  were  united  -in  1769  under  the  pre^Mvt  name. 
Its  objects  are  sufficiently  comprehensive  to  embrace  almost 
everything  calculated  to  advance  the  taste  for  literature 
natural  philosophy,  science,  antiquities,  and  the  arts;  and  it 
has  accordmgly  periodical  meetings  of  its  members,  for  the 
reading  of  original  papers  and  the  discussion  of  literarv  or 
scientific  subjects,  which  are  well  attended.     It  publishes  a 
regular  series  of  Transactions,  like  the  learned  societies  cf 
Europe,  of  which  it  has  fifteen  volumes  completed.     It  has 
a  library  of  11,000  volumes,  mostly  works  of  great  value, 
and  such  as  are  difficult  to  be  found  elsewhere!    It  is  pari 
ticularly  rich  in  i.a.Aphlets  and  public  documents,  manu- 
script  and  prmte,      ;  .^strative  of  American  history.     It  cor- 
responds  .vith  U'...ard  of  fifty  of  the  learned  and  scientific 
societies  oi  Eruo^jf;,  and  receives  their  Transactions  regu- 
larly  m  excui^u;  and  it  has  the  best  museum  of  ISlexican 


AMKRICAN  ANTIQUITIES.  3^ 

o?imerict"  '^""^"^'"  ^^^*^g  -y-^-e  on  the  Continent 
nv'lltSl^X^^^^^^  i:r\r  -«^'*«*-  in  con,pa. 

mable  Dr  Duponc^au  It^  ^he  equally  venerable  and  eati- 

lologists  andTor  raL'^t'o;^^^^^^^^^^^^  'T''  '''' 
tlemen  were  each  above  eighty  years  of  Zl'  i  '^  P": 
were  strong  in  body  and  vigSsTmind^ThTv  K^""'^ 
served  m  a  remarkable  dLee  anHn  «ll  ti,  ^  ^^''^  ^'^I 
freshness,  the  peculiaritip,  nf  ft  '•  .®"  *^^^'  original 

land  and  FranSraTvlt  nil,     ''  '^T.^^^ive  nations,  Eng. 
affectionate  tTan'thet  fnTerturTe"  '"'"'^  "^°"  ^"^"^^^^^ 

t.n!^,  wh^  Ve':  :2  tllT  ^^"^^^.^^«  -«-  of  the  olden 
greal  characSrs  of  th^W  L^^^^^^  ™o«t  «f  the 

Frankhn,  Jefferson  Adfr^  ,  Revolution,  Washington, 
chair  of  Cohimbus  «n TV^""^  '''''^"'  ^*^^t  we  sat  in  the 
wooden  chai  ,™ove'  ^aH  '^"''  T'^^''  ^^^^k  polished 
like  some  of  the  ohl  .h  ?  ^'^^  ™0"«  devices,  and 

seen  in  England    1  the  ^  '^'  Seventh's' time 

ble  writingfdesk  affiVJ^f  «hair  of  Jefferson,  with  its  mova- 
the  Beclarltton  of  ?nde  '  nd  ""^'"^  '^'  ^"S'"«*  **'^"ght  of 
occupied  by  FrankUn  i„^  thl  ""^  T,  P""""^  '  ^»  thichai, 
DeclLation^ndTn  ^hTch  he  ?ffi  ""5^1-^^'^^  "^^^^^^  that 
magna  chor'ta  of  imltan  llber^v^  M^'  ^'fature  to  that 
pleasure  to  read  thBdZfnl^T^'  J^^'^,^^^""  ^e  had  the 
such  as  it  W£^  m  Jptf?  ?l  ^  *^'^"S^^  *'"**  amended  copy, 
to  whom  tCd^y  was  Tnt^^^^^^^^  ^°"^«^itt?I 

the  printed  copy  UrulS  2' ^^r^^^^^^^^ 

W  ltm^?:nrt:k:n'^^^^^^  °"^-"  P'rait^o? 

he  became  ""q  S,^?^^^^ 

mihtary  dress  of  the  days  of  Charles  the  Second      AH  th 

Voi!lIy7^  ^'^^'^  commendation,  the  former  an 


dH 


PKNMflrLVAMU. 


IrMiman  and  the  latter  lui  Englishman,  and  hoth  octogena' 
rians,  I  insert  it  here. 

"The  possession  of  great  wealth  is  not  necessary  to  entitle  an  indi- 
vidual to  be  enrolled  among  the  honourable  class  of  benefactors  of  their 
fenow-men.  Many  a  person,  who  in  the  course  of  a  long  Ufe  has  not 
given  five  hundred  dollars,  or  even  one  hundred,  for  benevolent  or  chari- 
table purposes— simply  from  slendemess  of  means,  not  from  narrowness 
or  heart— has  higher  claims  to  the  respect,  esteem,  and  gratitude  of  his 
fellows  than  some  who  have  bequeathed  to  such  objects  hundreds  of 
ttiousands,  which  they  clutched  during  life  with  an  iron  grasp,  and 
reluctantly  parted  with  when  they  could  clutch  them  no  longer;  un- 
moved by  the  noble  ambition  of  being  their  own  executors  for  at  least 
a  portion  of  their  wealth,  and  of  enjoying  the  luxury  of  seeing  the  ob- 
jects for  which  it  is  to  be  ultimately  bequeathed  rising  and  prospering  un- 
der their  eyes,  and  shedding  their  benign  influence  around.  To  a  man 
possessing  the  inestimable  blessing  of  mens  sana  in  corpore  sano,  this 
would  be  the  most  exquisite  delight  this  worid  affords.  For  such  ex- 
alted purposes  alone  would  a  truly  wise  man  desire  the  accumulation 
of  wealth  beyond  what  is  requisite  to  procure  the  comforts  of  life. 

"  Among  those  whose  means  are  incommensurate  with  their  expan- 
sive benevolence,  there  are  few  more  worthy  of  honourable  mention 
than  John  Vaughan,  Esq.,  one  of  our  citizens,  an  Englishman,  who  has 
resided  among  us  for  fifty-five  years.  Throughout  his  whole  life  a 
laige  portion  of  his  time  has  been  employed  in  active  beneficence ;  and 
he  has  probably  done  as  much  good  with  slender  means  as  any  man 
living,  and  more,  far  more,  than  some  possessed  of  countless  treasures. 
To  needy  strangers,  particulariy  his  countrymen,  destitute  of  money  and 
friends,  and,  though  industrious  and  desirous  to  work,  destitute  of  em- 
ployment, his  services  have  been  invaluable.  For  hundreds  of  persons 
Uius  circumstanced  he  has  found  advantageous  situations,  many  of 
whom  are  now  m  independent  circumstances,  the  foundation  of  which 
was  laid  by  his  interference. 

.  "To  respectable  foreigners  he  is  weU  known,  as,  I  had  almost  said, 
the  accredited  cicerone  of  Philadelphia.  He  either  accompanies  them 
or  procures  them  access  to  whatever  our  city  possesses  worthy  of  at- 
^1  u  ?• ,  j"'iF'"8  ^"1  ,^'*  months  in  which  the  social  circle  of  the  Wistar 
Club  holds  Its  weekly  secstons,  he  is  relied  on  for  introducing  such 
strangers  of  the  above  deooription  as  have  no  acquaintances  among  the 
members,  from  the  latter  of  whom,  in  this  capacity,  he  holds  carte 
i)lanche. 

'*  Although  his  means  are  far  from  affluent,  his  contributions  to  public 
Objects  are  in  as  fliU  proportion  to  his  \ocome  as  those  of  any  otheV  cit- 
wen  whatever,  and  far  more  than  those,  of  many  who  possess  twenty 
dollars  to  his  one.  ^         ""cm./ 

"  He  is  now  about  eighty-two  years  old,  and,  owing  to  a  good  consti- 
tution,  and  steady  habits  of  uniform  temperance  iff  regard  to  food  and 
drink,  he  is  neariy  as  active  in  his  beneficent  routine  of  duty  as  he  has 
been  at  any  time  for  forty  years.  He  rises  early;  and  few  mornings 
pass  over  that  he  is  not  seen  escorting  some  straneer.  ladv  or  eentle- 
man,  to  the  steamboat  for  Baltimore  or  New- York. 

"When  his  last  sand  is  run,  his  mortal  remains  deposited  in  the  si- 
lent  grave,  and  his  spirit  shall  have  ascended  to  the  dread  tribunal  of  the 
Judge  of  the  hving  and  the  dead,  his  demise  wiU  be  lamented  as  a  se- 
rious pubhc  loss  by  the  great  body  of  his  feUow-citizens,  by  whom  he 
IS  held  in  universal  veneration.  ' 

«  His  death  will  create  a  chasm  m  our  city,  which,  it  is  to  be  feared, 


BINJAHIN   rUNllIN. 


MS 


lii«  activity,  and  to  ben«loto5!!^  .S  S*' *''°  "i"  """'""'  "•'"  'i""" 
Mr  Vanahnn  oL  f.,11  V"""""'.®*  Which  the  Athenaum  and 

"  I  send  you  herewith  a  bill  for  ten  louin  ^'nr  "f  i"*'  ^P"'  ^'  '™<- 
g*ve  you  such  a  sum,  I  only  lend  it  to  von  Whin  *  ^°  "?»  P^tend  to 
jrour  country  you  cannot  failTettin?  fnfn  -n^^^K^'""  '''''"  "»""»  ^ 
time  enable  you  to  pay  il  vouf  deSS  In  thT  **"""*!'  **>*»  *'»  *«» 
with  another  honest  mJn  in  8imnar5S;«!  **""  "*"*'  ^^en  you  meet 
thip  sum  to  him,  enlSghXdtZ^VlTt^P^'^^y^^^ii^e 
wiTen  he  shall  be  able  aS!  sfi  meet  SsuIhSn''^  *  ""'^  operation. 
It  may  thus  go  throujrh  maiw  Wrfp  S  ^^^  *"  "PPortunity.  I  hope 
its  progress.  TWs  if  a  Sfdfof  miL  /°'5  "  "'^®**  ^^'^^  »  *'^«  *<>  8t?p 
money  I  am  not  rich  enoLht^J^  T  ^°'?9  *  S°^  '^e*'  with  a  little 
oblige^d  to  be  cSf  aSrffi  Ve^^tT^ut  S  It^^''^  "^^  '^  ''^ 

ing  eXTwriftJn  b^^^^ei^^^^^  \^  ^^'  the  follow- 

his  tombstone :         ^  ""»»eii,  and  intended  by  him  to  be  inscribed  upon 

««.r,       *  The  body  of 

^^5"AMIN  FRAnWv,  Printer 
(lUte  the  cover  of  an  old  book, 
.«j  ..  •    '*j  contents  torn  out, 
and  stripped  of  its  lettering  and  gilding), 
^nf  i'^'  *"*?.«•  f°°^  for  formal       ^'' 
but^Sw^  T"'^  '.^**f  «haU  not  be  lost, 
but  wiU  (as  he  believed)  appear  once  more 

V.;.^rcl't:?S,°[;Ji,:a^^^^^  th,  ^,e;  but  Mr. 


366 


riNNSYLTANlA. 


in  a  new 

and  more  beautiful  edition, 

corrected  and  amended 

utj       X.-    I.        J  The  Author.' 

Benjamin  )r     1 1- 
and      (Franklin, 

Deborah   J     »'»0- 
'We  would  suggest  that  the  remams  of  Benjamin  and  Deborah  Frank- 
LrVr^Jf*  '"^  Independence  Square,  and  that  tl.rs  slK  pK 
over  them,  as  at  present;  that  a  suitable  monument  of  white  PennavL 

Kr  t  '^P'^^^^''^?  *'?!^.^P**  *^""«°  ''y  f>'™»elf,  and  on  the  other  sides  a 
K  '^^'.V^  *"'  ^"''  P'«8«ntin?  the  most  important  political  eventJ 
with  which  he  was  connected,  if  the  middle  wSik  of  thrsquare  b^  Jot 
a  suitable  place  for  this  monument,  let  it  be  placed  i  the  cSntre  of  one 
of  the  sections ;  and  for  the  sake  of  uniformity,  as  well  as  P^  more  ?r„! 

• 
The  Philadelphia  Library,  which  was  foundec'  by  Frank- 
hn  previously  to  the  AthenKum,  contains  at  present  up- 
%^ard  of  40,000  volumes,  well  selected  and  well  arranged 
It  18  sustained  by  shnrp!?  elders  in  its  stock,  and  by  the  an^ 
nual  subscriptions  ol  mure  than  2000  si^bscribers,  at  four 
dollars  a  year  each;  and  the  whole  of  this  urn  is  h,d  out 
annually  by  the  c  nmittee  in  ',e  purchase  of  a  ditional 
book..  It  has  a  large  nnd  commodious  bu  '  ,g  near  the 
State  Housp  and  promises  U  become  in  ..c  jae  of  the 
best  hbf&rie..  .a  the  count v. 

The   Franklin  Institute  and  the  Academy  of  i.      ,nal 
J^ciences  are  two  excellent  institutions  connected  with  t>  c 
'promotion  of  useful  krowledge  :  and  the  Ph    idelp  h  Mu- 
seum,  wh    h  contains  the  most    erfect  ui   on  of  the  various 
parts  of  the  mammoth  that  h;  /e  been  yet  discovered  in 
America,  is  rich  in  collections  of  various  kinds.     For  its 
rv)re  perfect  arrangement  md  display,  a  large  building  is 
now  erecting  in  the  heart  of  i,  e  city,  the  ^)rincipal  room  of 
whieh  is  said  to  be  only  six  f    t  le.s  in    cngth  than  West- 
minster  Hall,  though  it  is  much  narrower ;  but  i'  is  fitted 
wi*    galleries  and    .^cesses,  and  iveU  lighted  from  above,  so 
tJ      It  will  be  om  of  the  larg-    and  finest  museums  in  the 
ijuion.     At  one     .d  of  this  building  is  a  lecture-theatre 
consiructed  on  the     d  Roman  plan  of  constantly-ascendii  r 
semicircular  seats,  which  wiU  contain  comfortably  a  thou" 


Of  places  of  public  amusement,  in  our  P!n»l«k  « 
tionoAhe term,  there  are  not  man;!;  Ph  ladeSht   7h^^^^^^^ 
are  three  large  theatres,  one  of  which  is  S   *  nH  th! 
other  two  but  occasionally  opened :  these  Z  no?  ! 

frequented  by  the  moreopXnt^or  im'eligem  cTassSs  bmar^ 
sustamed  by  the  middle  and  hii  .blr    3.      JJ^ '•      "® 

f«L        persons,  and  it  is  as  well  adapted  for  musical  ner 

"  I'm  over  young  to  marrv  vet  "  fh*»  iJl/^?    u-  u  ^'    *"^ 

than  in  New. York  nr  r«u-       ^  respect,  m  Philadelphia 
laid  out  and  thdr         ^,*^^^"^«7-     They  have  been  longer 

wfucs  render  the^^  m^       T.'  kT^'  ?'''L""^  ^"^  g™'«»- 

less  valued  here  th^nT*;        „^1H  k     '  ^"^^  '^^^  ""  P'***^^*^*^ 
f..«r«-  ♦!.    "."*'^'^*"«n^^'  ,     ould  be  in  ahnost  anv  other  citv 

nla^P«  f    "''°"™«t«"«^  oi  the  streets  being  such  a^^eabfe 

A  muou    -rge,  square  ,ha„  this  was  planned  hy  wSm 
,  .  „,,^„  uiViuuu  ix-iio  iouf  smaller  squares. 


^BBk^/ 


ass 


PINNSYLTANU. 


each  of  a  good  size.  The  square  of  Penn,  indeed,  has  fol- 
lowed the  fate  of  his  city,  in  being  contracted  within  nar- 
rower limits  than  at  first  intended ;  for  his  original  plan  is 
said  to  have  been  formed  onji  scale  of  three  miles  for  each 
of  Its  sides,  or  a  square  of  twelve  miles  for  the  whole  city ; 
whereas  it  was  subsequently  abridged  to  tifro  miles  in  length 
from  east  to  west,  and  one  mile  in  breadth  from  north  to 
south,  which  forms  the  street  limits  of  the  present  city,  all 
beyond  these  limits  belonging  to  the  suburbs  and  liberties. 

Independence  Square,  to  the  south  of  the  State  House,  is 
470  feet  by  398 ;  and  Washington  Square,  near  it,  is  456 
feet  by  370  ;  while  Logan  Square  and  Ruttenhouse  Square 
ara  hadly  inferior  in  size ;  and  when  the  trees  in  each  are 
more  fully  grown,  these  will  be  valuable  additions  to  the 
means  of  healthy  recreation  and  exercise  for  the  population. 
The  newspapers  of  Philadelphia  are  as  numerous  as  they 
are  in  all  the  large  towns  of  the  United  States.     There  are 
seven  daily  morning  papers  and  two  daily  evening  papers ; 
the  former  are  the  United  States  Gazette,  the  Commercial 
Herald,  the  Pennsylvanian,  the  Inquirer,  the  Sentinel,  the 
Public  Ledger,  and  the  Advertiser ;  and  the  latter  are  the 
National   Gazette  and  the  Philadelphia  Gazette.      Of  all 
these  there  is  but  one,  the  Public  Ledger,  which  is  strictly 
neutral  in  politics  (thij  being  what  is  called  a  penny  paper, 
though  selling  at  one  cent,  or  about  a  halfpenny  per  copy, 
and  not  more  than  half  ihe  size  of  the  other  papers),  and 
one  only,  the  Pennsylvanian,  which  is  Democratic,  or  in  fa- 
vour of  the  present  administration.     All  the  rest  are  Whig, 
or,  as  we  should  call  them  in  England,  Conservative  ;  that 
is,  anti-Democratic.     In  point  of  talent,  they  are  all  conduct- 
ed with  more  ability  and  more  fairness,  as  it  struck  me,  than 
the  papers  of  New- York.     There  is  less  of  personal  vituper- 
ation and  party  abuse,  and  less  of  puffing  and  strained  at- 
tempts at  extravagance  for  wit.     Their  current  of  thought 
and  tone  of  feeling  are  graver  and  more  dignified,  and  their 
style  of  expression  more  courteous  and  less  dogmatical. 

In  addition  to  the  daily  papers  there  are  some  few  week- 
ly ones,  and  three,  of  large  circulation,  devoted  exclusively 
to  religious  articles.  Of  these  the  Presbyterian  takes  the 
first  rank  in  circulation,  and  after  this  the  Episcopal  Record- 
er and  the  Philadelphia  Observer.  They  are  each  conduct- 
ed with  ability  and  consistency.  The  editors  and  proprie- 
tors are  ministers  and  members  of  the  respective  sects  of 
Christians  to  which  they  belong ;  and  these  papers  answer 
here  the  purpose  which  monthly  religious  periodicals  do  in 


CHIAP   LITIRATUBl.— MAHUfACTORBS. 

England,  and  answer  it  better,  because  the  frequency  of 
their  appearance,  once  a  week,  makes  them  fitting  vehicle, 
of  religions  news    which  causes  them  to  find  their  way 

Tr.^  wHn    .1  '^'*'*?"'  "^''^  '^""•^  ^'"^^y  b«  "^^^^om^  visit. 
n»Vr     i  cheapness,  ready  transmission  by  the  post, 

and  freshness  occasion  their  religious  essays  to  be  read  by 
thmisands  who  would  not  approach  them  in  any  other  shape. 

Phir?^    T"°  ^'^^.^^  ^^'""^  extensive  publishers  in 
Ph  ladelphia,  it  is  not  so  literary  a  city  as  New- York    and 

Dubl  s^d'h  *'""  ^'^^"-  '^'^''  -°«  •»  QuaLrly?Re'v?ew 
oonM  .  K^'^  "  '^'^  ^^""  «8°'  «"<*  ^«»  conducted,  but  it 
could  no  be  sustained,  and  it  is  now  merged  into  some 
other  periodical  elsewhere,  nor  has  its  place  b^een  sil  sTp! 
piled.  Cheap  literature  is  that  which  is  most  in  request 
nere;  and  the  two  classes  of  publications  which  find  the 
readiest  sale  are  cheap  theological  works  of  early  or  of 
modern  date,  and  cheap  reprints  of  English  novds  and 

shon  l'"'^^'"'''°"u  ?"'"  "«  often  sSld  in  the  same 
shop,  where,  over  the  doorway,  may  be  seen  the  words 
"Theological  Bookstore,"  and' " Catalogues  of  ReSs 
Books  to  be  had  within,"  while  placards  in  front  of  the  SZ 
door  announce  Byron's  "  Don  Juan,"  Lady  Bury's  "FlTr! 
tation,"  and  Bulwer's  -  Ernest  Maltravers"  as  amon«  the 
popular  works  of  the  day.  ^  ^® 


CHAPTER  XXVH 

-Manners  of  Philadelphia  K?riwre?ch'edSlte'.''"" !'.""'  '"''•^"«'««- 
munificent  Ugacie..icontra.t  of  thlKj  «d  A'S-  '*°"""J^-^'"«"«~  »f 

Op  the  manufactures,  trade,  and  commerce  of  Philadel- 
phin,  more  may  be  said  as  to  its  prospects  than  as  to  its  ac 
tual  condition.  At  present  there  is  not  nearly  so  much  of 
either  as  there  might  have  been,  or  as  there  will  be  a  few 
years  hence,  when  the  vast  resources  of  the  state  come  to 

DC  more  fullv  devfllnnp^        TU^  f^,.. /•-  _. 

^  —  — J — „,     j^„^  iQ„  liioiiuiuuiories  now  cay- 


360 


PCKMATLTANIA. 


ried  on  here  are  confined  to  carpets,  floorcloth,  some  hard- 
ware of  a  coarse  kind,  glass,  porcelain,  and  articles  of  do- 
mestic consumption;  but  little  or  nothing  is  made  for  ex- 
portation, if  we  except  a  very  extensive  and  excellent  man- 
ufactory of  steam-engines,  conducted  on  a  large  scale,  and 
supplying  both  the  cities  of  the  seacoast  and  the  rising  towns 
of  the  Western  waters. 

The  foreign  commerce  is  almost  as  limited  as  the  home 
trade,  the  shipping  of  Philadelphia  not  equalling  a  fourth  of 
those  of  New- York,  and  the  shores  of  the  Delaware  pre- 
senting a  striking  contrast,  in  the  fewness  of  the  vessels  upon 
it,  compared  with  the  forests  of  masts  that  line  the  banks  of 
the  East  River  and  the  Hudson  at  the  latter  city. 

That  which  promises  so  much  for  the  future,  however^  is 
the  gradual  development  of  the  mineral  wealth  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  the  interior  of  this  state  has  been  recently  dis- 
covered beds  of  coal  and  iron,  sufficiently  extensive  to  afford 
materials  for  manufacturing  for  centuries  to  come ;  and  these 
will  soon  become  articles  of  export  to  other  parts  of  the 
coimtry.  The  communications  by  railroad  and  canal  every 
day,  extending  into  the  interior,  by  Harrisburg  and  Pitts- 
burg, to  the  Ohio,  and  thence  down  the  Mississippi,  up  the 
Missouri,  on  by  the  Arkansas  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
by  the  Red  River  to  Texas,  will  facilitate  the  diffusion  of 
imported  as  well  as  domestic  manufactured  goods,  and  form 
a  channel  for  the  conveyance  of  the  produce  of  the  countries 
watered  by  those  rivers  to  Philadelphia,  where  the  Dela- 
ware will  form  its  outlet  to  Europe,  the  West  Indies,  and 
other  parts  of  the  world. 

At  present,  it  is  true.  New- York  has  got  the  start  of  Phil- 
adelphia and  Baltimore  in  the  internal  and  foreign  trade, 
by  being  in  advance  of  both  in  her  enterprising  underta- 
kings. But  the  local  position  of  both  these  latter  cities, 
aided  by  internal  canals  and  railroads,  is  such  as  to  render 
it  more  than  probable  that  each  may  in  time  attain  a  posi- 
tion of  commercial  eminence  greatly  superior  to  that  which 
they  now  enjoy;  and  every  increase  of  population  in  the 
interior  must  accelerate  this  period,  by  the  development  of 
the  resoiurces  of  these  parts,  and  by  increased  means  of  con- 
sumption. 

The  municipal  government  of  Philadelphia  was  originally 
appointed  by  the  proprietary,  William  Penn,  but  was  grad- 
ually opened  to  the  influence  of  the  community  in  colonial 
times,  till  it  was  settled  upon  its  present  basis  soon  after  \he 
Revolution.    In  1789  the  mayor  was  elected  out  of  the  muni- 


COUNTV   OFFICBES.—POPULATION.  '      ggl 

Uo„  of  choosing  thelnayor  frr^mtg  he  aUetr'"°- 
abrogated,  so  that  eve/since  that  period  tht'm  Y" 
been  chosen  out  of  the  bod.  of  th.  '^•!"  '  ''®°''  i"" 

l|a  is  paid  a  salary  „?^''Llf  0,^400  ft^aL  h^ 

Xcro"nn«4rx^cSr/trr„li1/^'^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

I  he  recorder  is  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  ti,      * 

by  the  govit^»d"'rhttri7l:;:t^re'^^^^^^ 

for  trials  of  suits  where  thp  nm«„»f  a   ••  ''"*'®^  ^'  '"e  peace 
1        ^i         ""^t-j  wiiere  me  amount  does  not  ev     ^>^  inn  a^i 

offences  o:^SrZZ' t^ S'^""'""  ""'  '"  '"™'«" 

of  t„en^  men,bt"X  arel",  <SrS  ^^^^ZAZ 
to  serve  as  representatives  in  the  Statf  aTsSv     tS. 

Inl  nZSi'ed  t'"™^'  "'  "'^"^  members.-  froml    ." 

nu.de  llw  wS„r,it'''cS„°s:mTbo''.h°'  'lT'="'T  """'!■' 
constitution  is  found  to  wXxtre JS^weJ"  '"'"=""■''  ""' 

IsJa  w^sXIm  1  ^a'YH^^'"'  «  ">e  las,  census  of 

t£^c  tvand  w!s9  lTj'°ru'''''P'°P°'''""'  *''"=  80,406  in 
1.J' 7'  ","?  ''*'''82  m  the  hbf rties  and  suburbs.     Th.  „.„. 


362 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


census  had  been  taken,  beginning  at  1790,  were  thus  in 
round  numbers,  43,000,  68,000,  89,000,  110,000,  140,000. 
rhe  greater  proportionate  increase  of  population  within  the 
last  eight  years,  from  immigration  and  other  causes,  induces 
the  belief  here  that  the  next  census  of  1840  will  exhibit  a 
population  of  200,000  for  the  city  and  suburbs,  which  will 
probably  be  the  case.     The  proportion  of  coloured  people 

no^^^^^?  ^®  "°*  ^*'^^'  ''^^"8  in  the  city,  at  the  last  census, 
y-256  coloured  to  71,150  white,  and  these  proportions  re- 
mam  nearly  the  same.  In  each  race  there  were  a  greater 
number  of  females  than  males,  the  white  population  exhibit- 
ing a  return  of  37,619  females,  and  33,531  males,  and  the 
coloured  population  exhibiting  a  return  of  5231  females, 
and  4025  males.  The  number  of  deaths  in  1831  was  4939, 
of  which  2720  were  children,  and  2219  adults;  the  total  of 
deaths  being,  therefore,  in  round  numbers,  5000,  and  the 
total  of  population  in  round  numbers,  140,000 ;  the  propor- 
tion  of  deaths  was  1  in  28,  or  about  three  and  a  half  per 
cent,  m  the  whole  year.  The  greatest  mortality  in  1831 
was  m  December,  the  number  being  708,  while  the  average 
ol  the  other  months  was  about  350  ;  and  in  1832  the  great- 
est  raortahty  was  in  August,  the  deaths  being  1689,  the  av- 
erage  of  the  other  months  being  about  450. 

The  classes  into  which  the  population  are  divided  in  Phil- 
adelphia  are  very  similar  to  those  of  New- York  and  Balti- 
more.  Though  there  is  no  titled  nobility  or  hereditary  aris- 
tocracy,  there  is  a  decided  aristocracy  of  family  connexion 
as  well  as  of  wealth ;  and  of  the.  two,  the  first  are  the  most 
festidious  about  the  rank  and  station  of  their  associates. 
Ihe  expressions  of  respect  for  those  who  are  descended 
ironi  the  farst  families,  or  who  belong  to  some  of  the  oldest 
lamilies  of  Pennsylvania,  or  Maryland,  or  New-Jersey,  or 
Virginia,  are  as  frequently  heard  from  the  lips  of  Ameri- 
cans,  as  from  those  of  the  most  aristocratic  circles  in  our 
small  country  towns  in  England;  and  the  phrases  "they 
are  people  of  yesterday,"  and  "people  of  no  family,"  con- 
vey  as  much  odium  to  an  American  ear  as  to  an  Endish 
one.  ° 

The  greater  number  of  those  select  gentry  inherit  land, 
or  houses,  or  stock  from  their  parents,  and  are  not  engaged 
m  trade.  They  are  occasionally  joined  by  families  who 
have  acquired  fortunes  in  business,  and  retire,  when  they 
lorm  a  small  leisure  class,  whose  chief  occupation  is  visit- 
ing  and  social  intercourse  wl^en  at  home,  and  travelling  to 
the  seaside,  or  to  the  springs  of  Virginia  or  Saratoffa.  in  tha 


CLASSES   OP   SOCIETY.  ogo 

warm  season  The  style  of  living  observed  by  this  claaa  « 
what  would  be  deemed  elegant  in  any  part  of  Col  TeS 
houses  are  large  and  well  fnrnished\-   their  Stiis  „u 

Sni  *^r^*'  "'''^^  ""  ^°^°"'«^'  '^'^^  parties  gay  and 
brilliant;   their  manners  polished  and  refined-    an7tK  • 

conversation  intelligent  and  agreeable  '    ^"^  '^^'' 

1  he  class  next  in  order  of  consequence  or  consideration 
IS  the  aristocracy  of  wealth,  which  is  more  eTendpH  ^^ 
numbers  not  so  exclusive  or'scrupulousXut  thlrank  i? 
sry/nt?:  «"°r^*-'  ^"d  mor?  easily  acccssiWe  to  per 
Hv?„„  •  '  pretensions  to  themselves.     Their  style  of 

aim  elegant ,  their  parties  are  larger  and  more  costlv  nnA 
their  visiting  more  frequent  and  more  general  ^'  ^^ 

in  VTJ^       'f '  ^°^«ver,  are  to  be  found  many  philanthron 
ic  and  benevolent  individuals,  who  devote  a  iW  PoS 
of  their  wealth   as  well  as  their  labour  and  thefr  tfme   to 
the  promotion  of  charitable  and  religious  object      Ther'    s 

cise  of  the  higher  virtues  of  charity  and  benevolence  bv 
wo^oTorr^  ^"'^^^'"^^^  '^'^  ^-«  ^--^«  "^-^  f-  thi 

eithe''/  ?^ff^  ''^"f  K  ^  '°^^^*y  ^'^  Philadelphia,  removed  from 
either  extreme  of  bare  competency  (for  of  abiect  novertv 

sician;    n w      '  P'"'^^^^'^"^!  n^en.  including  the  clergy,  phy. 

coTntr;      tZ';  T"^  "''T''''''  ^^°"^  ^^«"*^'«"t  parts  of^h^e 
Inn?.  ^'  if    ^"l""'  °^  ^°"'^-^^'  a  ^ery  mixed  and  miscel- 
laneous  clas«,  but  they  are,  on  the  whole,  the  mostTnelH- 
gent,  and  most  agreeable  to  strangers.     No  s .  upulois  an 
prehensions  about  low  birth  or  want  of  high  fan  ih  connex 

Te'  :fnZtri  ''  "^^^^^^'"^  ^^^h  a^man^ofLrifor." 
nnH  c     Au  ^K^""^'  mterrupt  the  full  flow  of  hilarity 

and  good-humour  which  is  so  characteristic  of  this  mixed 
class,  among  whom  there  is  a  sufficient  amount  of  iS        ' 

.._-^..^''P'^'^'*'",  ^^  their  opinions,  to  render  their  sod^tv  ho.h 
iiisiiucuve  arm  eiilert'jining.  "^ 


364 


PBNNSYLVATnA. 


One  of  the  most  agreeable  entertainments  that  I  had  the 
pleasure  to  enjoy  in  Philadelphia  was  a  public  dinner  giv- 
en by  the  bar  to  the  bench,  at  which  there  were  about  two 
hundred  gentlemen  of  the  legal  profession,  and  forty  or  fifty 
others  invited  as  guests.  The  circumstances  which  led  to 
the  dinner  were  these :  From  the  first  ratification  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  Pennsylvania,  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  and. 
other  courts  have  held  their  offices  during  good  behaviour; 
but  by  the  late  Convention  held  in  Philadelphia  to  consider 
the  propriety  of  revising  the  Constitution,  an  amendment 
was  carried  for  fixing  a  limited  period,  I  think  fifteen  years, 
for  the  services  of  a  judge,  instead  of  the  life  tenure,  which 
the  term  of  good  behaviour  generally  includes.  This  was 
interpreted  by*  many  as  implying  a  disapprobation  of  the 
general  conduct  of  the  judges>  and  a  want  of  confidence  in 
their  impartiality.  To  coimteract  this,  the  bar  of  Pennsyl- 
vania gave  the  present  entertainment,  avowedly  as  a  mark 
of  respect  and  confidence  towards  the  bench  at  large. 
Nearly  all  the  judges  (to  the  number  perhaps  of  twenty) 
were  present.  Mr.  Binning,  a  barrister  of  advanced  years 
and  large  practice,  presided,  and  hla  introductory  speech 
was  clear,  able,  and  well  delivered.  The  speeches  that 
followed  were  of  a  character  to  sustain  the  high  reputation 
of  the  Philadelphia  bar,  nJ  the  whole  entertainment  was 
of  a  dignified  and  intellectual  cast.  I  was  unexpectedly 
called  upon  by  name  to  respond  to  the  toast  of  "  The  Bench 
and  Bar  of  England,"  and  it  was  extremely  gratifying  to 
hear,  in  almost  every  one  of  the  speeches  delivered,  the 
highest  admiration  expressed  of  England  and  her  laws,  her 
lawyers  and  her  judges. 

The  general  appearance  oi  the  inhabitants  of  Philadelphia 
is  highly  favourable.  The  univtrisU  aspect  of  competency 
and  comfort  which  is  presented  on  every  side  as  one  walks 
through  the  streets,  where  one  meets  none  but  well-Jressed 
persons,  of  whatever  class,  is  extremely  agr'^e'ible.  The 
gentlemen  have  not  that  ease  and  polish  oi  m'  JiCrs  which 
•eemed  to  us  to  characterize  the  same  cla&s  at  Baltimore, 
nor  did  the  ladies  appear  to  us  so  graceful  and  perfectly 
well-bred.  But  the  number  of  pretty  and  elegantly-dressed 
women,  between  the  age  of  sixteen  and  twenty-five,  that 
•re  lo  be  seen  in  the  principal  streets  of  Philadelphia  on  a 
fine  day,  is  as  great,  perhaps,  as  in  any  city  of  the  world ; 
though  we  did  not  find  in  either  sex  that  hearty  frankness 
and  cordial  generosity  which  exist  so  generally  at  Balti- 
more, and  which  are  said  to  be  characteristic  of  the  people 
of  tJw  entire  South. 


DISTRESSED   FEMALES. 


365 


The  Philadelphians  have  the  reputation  of  beintr  cold 

the  same  class  of  society  in  New-York  and  Baltimore  we 
found  them  so,  and  heard  this  defect  admitted  Z  them! 
selves  as  well  as  reported  of  them  by  others.  There  wTs 
one  feature,  however,  which  we  noticed  so  often  and  Taw 
so  prommently,  that  we  could  not  fail  to  be  strongly 'n^ 
pressed  with  it  which  was  the  settled  conviction  that  seemed 
to  be  imprinted  on  the  minds,  and  even  the  persons  of  al- 
most  al  the  native  Pennsylvanians  we  saw,^thTn;t  only 
was  their  city  one  of  the  ba^t  built,  cleanest,  and  most  I^ee^ 

mttrbut  fhf  °^-^r^^'  "°"^^  ^^  ''^^'y  conc^d^by 
Td  LsmIi  f^^^'T''  ^''•^  ^"^°"g  the  handsomest 
and  most  intelligent  people  anywhere  to  be  found  ;  a  con- 

who  L^yf^  r'^  "°u^°"^*'  ^'  ^^^^y  pleasurable  o  those 
who  indulge  If,  and  which  was  indicated  by  the  look  and 

Z  lrl::f  rr  ;'^'  ^V  ^^^  ^^'"^^^  ^-'y  -unTenance 
we  saw  among  the  fashionable  groups  engaged  in  shopoiue 
waging,  or  visiting  their  neighbours.  ^  ^  '"  snoppuig, 
Notwithstanding  the  competency  and  comfort  which  reisn 
so  general  y  throughout  the  city,  and  the  entirelbsence  ?f 
those  revolting  scenes  of  drunkenness,  prostitution,  wretch- 
edness,  and  misery  which  obtrude  themselves  on  "he  eylTn 
almos  every  part  of  the  great  towns  of  England  there  fsve^ 
a  portion  of  suffering  among  even  the  sobefand  ndustrionl 
classes  of  labourers  here  for  want  of  adequate  remuneration 

Sn^^r  ''  ?'^^  ""  ^"^"^^y  h°^  f^^  the  charged  dleged 
against  them,  of  idleness,  improvidence,  and  dissipation  are 
founded  in  truth,"  and  of  which  the  eighth  editZis  before 
rne  written  by  the  benevolent  Matthfw  0^^^  are  some 
Tr'-T'n'l'"'^  '^'  condition  of  this  class^i'n  PhVadTl! 
?il/T''^^''^'''"  ^  melancholy  contrast  to  the  general 
comfort   and  even  opulence,  of  the  rest  of  its  inhabftants 

tho";:  tw^  "'^  '"  ^TP°^*^^  ^y  --h  ab"ndam  aul 
iTJf^  I  u  "°  1°'''^  whatever  to  doubt  their  accuracy 
I  read  through  the  whole  of  this  appeal,  with  its  aDnendrv 
of  proofs  in  detail,  and  I  had  an  opportunity  of  comultin^ 
many  individuals  who  had  the  best^meanro^f  knowing  hf 
^uth  or  error  of  the  statements  made  ;  and  the  resuTt  of  the 
whole  was  my  thorough  conviction  that  the  following  nosi! 
ZirZsZrCf'  -^^^l^hed  namely,  '^  that  mi'efy'a'd 
aistress  may  be  found  in  Philadelphia  equal  in  intensitv 
^hough  not  in  extent,  to  anything  that  is  found  inVondonS 


# 


FENNBYLTANIA. 

Of  individual  cases  of  such  distress  the  catalogue  is  a  long 
and  painful  one,  and  the  testimonies  of  public  men,  as  well 
as  of  benevolent  women,  who  interest  themselves  in  works 
of  charity  in  this  city,  as  to  the  accuracy  of  the  statements 
made,  are  so  numerous  that  it  would  occupy  niany  pages  to 
print  them. 

In  the  course  of  my  conversations  with  the  most  zealous 
friends  of  the  poor,  with  whom  I  had  many  opportunities  of 
conferring,  I  learned  from  almost  all  of  them,  that  just  in 
proportion  as  the  wealth  of  the  city  increased  did  the  dispo- 
sition to  benevolence  diminish  p  and  that  it  was  far  more 
difficult  to  obtain  20  or  50,000  dollars  for  any  benevolent 
purpose  now  than  it  was  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago.  They 
were,  in  general,  surprised  at  this ;  but  I  confess  that  it  did 
not  astonish  me,  because  the  result  of  my  experience  in  all 
countries  has  been  to  convince  me  that  this  is  the  general 
course  of  things.  Men  constantly  find  the  love  of  wealth 
increase  with  the  amount  of  their  possessions,  and  grow  less 
and  less  disposed  to  part  with  it  just  in  proportion  as  they 
are  more  and  more  abundantly  supplied.  The  consequence 
is,  that  the  most  truly  generous  people  in  every  country  are 
the  poor,  who  will  part  with  a  penny  out  of  the  only  shilling 
they  have  in  the  world  to  relieve  a  distressed  fellow-crea- 
ture, with  more  readiness  than  a  man  of  a  thousand  a  year 
will  part  with  a  guinea  fox  the  same  purpose. 

The  only  just  test  of  true  generosity  is  the  proportion  of  a 
man's  income  that  he  will  part  with  for  charitable  purposes ; 
and  judged  by  this  test,  it  may  be  assumed  as  a  rule,  to 
which  there  are  very  few  exceptions,  that  the  poorer  men 
are,  the  larger  the  proportion  of  their  income  will  they  part 
with  to  give  bread  to  the  hungry  and  clothing  to  the  naked ; 
while,  as  men  grow  richer  and  richer,  the  proportion  they 
are  willing  to  part  with  grows  less  and  less,  until  the  heart 
is  sometimes  sealed  up  entirely  by  the  very  excess  of  the 
wealth  of  its  owner. 

It  is  much  to  be  desired  that  some  benevolent  society 
should  be  established  on  the  principle  of  self-taxation  exer- 
cised on  all  its  members  to  the  extent  of  5  or  10  jer  cent, 
per  annum,  so  as  to  raise  a  sum  which  in  every  city  would 
be  sufficient  to  assist  all  who  were  helpless  with  shelter, 
food,  and  raiment,  and  furnish  to  those  who  eould  work 
labour  at  remunerating  prices,  t-^  the  means  of  earning 
their  own  subsistence.  This  would  be  perfectly  practica- 
ble if  the  rich  would  set  the  example,  for  the  poor  would 
most  readily  follow  them. 


DECLINE    OF   BENEVOLENCB.  357 

As  a  proof  of  the  declining  disposition  to  contrihiitP  t^ 
he  support  of  benevolent  obje^cts  e?en  in  this  count  y!iand 
this  decline  has  been  only  observed  since  the  natinn  h  u 
come  so  absorbed  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth-the Toll  '" 
facts  are  taken  from  the  trLt  of  Mr.  C^ey^^'llZ^^'a 
and  ih^J  T\  |?*^««"Pt'°n  ^o  the  Seamen's  Aid  Sodetv 
dolkrL^^''';f^-^""''""  Society  of  Baltimore  is  only  S 
dollar  each,  and  it  is  remarked,  that  to  the  first  thprp  n, 
m  the  wealthy  and  commercial  city  of  Bost"    Lut  about' 

f^rj^n     I  »^cona !     They  ought  each  to  have  at  least  /50n 

thref  doll  ""^'"'  ""''^J  subscription  at  the  rate  of  tl  o^ 
three  dollars  a  year.     The  annual  subscription  to  thp  P^ 

hTJ^in^'sii^o  ^TV  ^f^^^'p^^-  is'r  ddiir:  ^ ; 

down  to  108      Th".  p'''^'^'  ^ "J  '^^  """^^^'  ^^  d^^indled 

socieues  give  alms  ;  they  exercise  their  chTityi^  the  bes 
po    ible  forrn   by  giving  employment  to  the  poor. 

If  he  wealthy  could  but  be  induced  to  do  more  with  their 
wealth  while  living,  and  leave  less  to  be  dorwitH  when 
dead  they  would  effect  much  more  good  by  thdr  examolc 

woulH  «nfr'^^u  y  ^^  '"^"^g  their  wealth  with  them   they 
would  still  have  been  reluctant  to  part  with  it  at  all      Th^ 

o  the  Imng:  but  one  m^sht  have  hoped  that  in  America 
v;Lc^.  no  man  of  great  opulence  can  spend  his  mtrv  b? 
>ond  a  limited  extent  in  personal  gratification,  as  he  can  hi 
P^urop.,  tk.re  would  have  arisen  up  a  class  wiC  to  spend 
^^nK>ney  m  oh^ity  while  yet  ^le  to  see  and^^  Jthe 
^rjits  of  their  munificence,  instead  of  leaving  it  to  the  death 

ioifger%i;r.'^^^  ^'^"^  '"^ ''''  -^^•^  ^^«^  wlLVrhf/ctLt 

nf  ^nlfh*^^^^"  Pu''^'?  '^  ^  memorable  example  of  this  kind 
of  posthunious  liberality.  While  living,  his  only  plea^ire 
seemed  to  be  accumulation ;  and  when  he  could  accumula  e 
no  more,  but  not  before,  then  he  gave  his  six  Sons  of 
dollars  to  found  the  college  for  educatmg  orph^s  which 

LZn,>  "'""'•  ^"""^^^^  ^^  «™il^^  nistanL  of  Tardl 
generosity  ,s  g,ven  m  the  little  work  called  the  "  AnnnU 

of  Benevolence,"  before  referred  t,  .     AH,  perhlj^,  wte  „c 
ha  e  «ivTnVoar'7f,^  '^^^"^'  ^"^  all^couirnrdoub 
s  -"""iuuuuiis  saouia  De  encouraged,  as 


9 


368 


PENNBYLYANIA. 


more  wholesome  to  the  giver,  and  more  beneucial,  in  general, 
to  the  object  to  which  the  donations  are  applied.  Here  are 
a  few  cases :  ■• 

W.  B.  Read,  of  Newburyport,  who  lately  died  at  Marble- 
head,  bequeathed  68,000  dollars  for  benevolent  purposes, 
besides  liberal  legacies  to  heirs  and  relatives.  John  Low- 
ell,  a  citizen  of  Boaton,  who  lately  died  near  Bombay,  has 
left  about  250,000  dollars  towards  founding  an  institution  in 
Boston  for  delivering  lectures  on  scientific  subjects.  Dr. 
Joseph  Fisher  bequeathed  20,000  dollars  to  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, for  the  establishment  of  a  professorship  of  natural 
history.  John  M'Lean,  of  Cincinnati,  made  a  bequest  of 
20,000  dollars  to  establish  an  historical  professorship  in  the 
same  university.  Mrs.  Anna  Maria  Marsh,  of  Hindsdale, 
N.  H.,  bequeathed  10,000  dollars  to  establish  an  Insane  Asy- 
lum in  Windham  county.  Mr.  Pontalba,  late  of  New-Or- 
leans, bequeathed  his  whole  property,  valued  at  100,000 
francs,  towards  building  a  college  for  the  education  of  60 
young  persons,  20  from  each  of  the  parishes  of  Mont 
L'Eveque,  Senlis,  and  New-Orleans.  Mr.  Taubman,  late  of 
Georgia,  ordered  by  his  will  the  emancipation  of  48  slaves, 
who  were  to  settle  in  that  state  provided  the  Legislature 
would  permit  them  to  remain  as  freemen ;  otherwise,  to  be 
sent  to  Liberia.  Permission  to  remain  having  been  refused, 
they  were  to  be  shipped  for  that  colony  ;  Mr.  T.  bequeathed 
10,000  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  settling  them  there,  in  the 
event  of  their  emigration.  Mr.  Ireland,  of  New-Orleans, 
lately  deceased,  left  by  his  will  to  the  Colonization  Society 
one  third  of  his  estate,  the  whole  of  .which  is  valued  at 
30,000  dollars.  This  makes  20,000  dollars  from  New-Or- 
leans  in  one  year  for  this  special  object.  Charles  Ridgeley, 
of  Maryland,  bequeathed  liberty  to  all  his  slaves,  to  the  num- 
ber of  about  300,  amounting,  at  an  average  of  200  dollars 
each,  to  60,000  dollars. 

Now  there  is  hardly  any  one  among  all  these  cases  in 
which  the  donor  might  not  have  given  half  the  amount  in 
money  during  his  lifetime,  and  yet  have  had  an  income  ful- 
ly equal  to  his  expenditure.  He  would  have  lost  only  the 
pleasure  of  accumulation,  and  had,  in  exchange  for  this,  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  with  his  own  eyes  the  good  his  benevolence 
had  accomplished  ;  and,  as  it  rsspects  the  freedom  given  to 
the  slaves,  it  would  have  been  clearly  better  that  this  should 
have  been  wholly  done  during  his  life,  as  in  this  case  nothing 
would  have  been  lost ;  for  the  hire  of  the  same  individuals 
at  adequate  wages  would  have  secured  the  liberator  their 


DBATHBED   0ENER0«TY.-ANTI-AB0LIT10N  RIOT.  309 

labour,  which  was  their  only  value  to  hJm  «,k;i     *      l 
would  have  been  of  the  Jr^r^^^'J^Jl^J^^'^  " 

while  dyi^,  ^hat  theycZalf  J"'''"'  ^"^  benevolence 
jects  of  .heir  benev^IencrZ  ofToU  '^h  JSh!  !.w  "•" 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

^fe'^f  rZKld^^^^Sffi^^^^^^  H.,..-A«ack  of  th. 

Printa^Additional  hctsfZ^^p^snte  So,J^l  *'>:.''':« -Statements  of  the  public 

n^hir'^^i"  Meeting  of  the  FirZe?ofpSe7Dh^ra'Z^^.h'"'''J^-r« '».'»"''  b»o. 
public  Authorities—Opinions  of  the  lead^e  Jonm,u  "0^"'^^  '"^  Tardiness  of  the 
andOovernor— Attempt  ofthe  Mob  on  a  pJfnfin^^*"'^':**'''""''*'"''  °'  'he  Rfp.yor 
of  "  respectable  Faniil^'-iTtter  of  n!«iH  2.  '"f '2*''* -^'''"t  of  one  of  the  Riotiri 

"Thoughts  upon  Recent  Ev^u  »     ^'"'^  *^""'  ^~*»'  ">«  Barrister-Wholesome 

"voi:  I.!!iT  "'  '"""'  ■"*"  P""  °*'  "■=  Uniled  Stale;, 


9V0 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


whether  slave  states  or  free — and  they  are,  for  thip  reason,  so 
likely  to  be  misr-  ,re8»^nted  by  partisans  on  either  side — the* 
I  think  it  will  be  use  to  record  the  circum^^< mces  as  thej 
transpired,  with  as  mui  .  imp  rtiality  as  possible,  and  Avhile 
the  evidence  ip  accessiMe  on  the  spgt. 

It  appears  that  lur  some  yours  past,  since  th'  cause  of 
slavery  has  bee.  no  warmly  agitattd  in  the  North,  and 
emancipation  demanded  at  aii  hazarus,  the  friends  of  the 
slaves  have  found  it  almost  impossible  to  obtain  any  pub- 
lic building,  religiou;  or  other^vise,  in  which  to  hold  their 
meetings  for  the  purj,  -^e  of  discussing  the  question  of  abo- 
lition, and  expressing  their  opinions  freely  upon  it.  To 
remedy  this  defect,  a  number  of  benevolent  persons,  chiefly, 
though  not  entirely,  Quakers,  determined  on  l>uilding  a  large 
hall,  to  be  called  th'  Peiifylvania  Hall,  the  ^  >r>erty  of 
which  was  to  be  held  in  dares  as  i  joint-stock,  and  the 
hall  was  to  be  let  or  rented  ^  to  jious  and  benevolent 
societies  to  hold  their  meetings  in  .  abolition  of  sla^  to 
be  as  freely  discussed  in  it  as  y  other  public  qu.  a. 
This  hall  was  completed  in  thn  present  month  of  Ma  >d 
was  publicly  opened  by  the  piopr;  tors  and  directors  on  the 
14th,  15th,  and  16th  of  the  month. 

A  body  of  delegates  from  the  abolition  societies  of  Bos- 
ton and  the  New-England  States  having  come  on  to  Phila- 
delphia to  assist  at  this  opening,  composed  chiefly  of  fe- 
males, accompanied  by  Mr.  Garrison,  Miss  Grimke,  and 
other  leading  advocates  of  abolition,  they  occupied  the  hall 
for  their  meetings.  This  fact  alone,  of  abolition  being  pub- 
licly defended  in  a  city  where,  before  the  erection  of  this 
hall,  no  public  room  could  be  had  for  the  purpose,  excited 
the  Southern  people  and  their  connexions  in  Philadelphia 
to  a  high  degree ;  but  it  is  thought  that  this  would  not  have 
led  to  violence,  had  it  not  been  accompanied  by  the  fol- 
lowing auxiliary  "  aggravations,"  as  the  opponents  of  abo- 
lition were  pleased  to  term  them. 

Miss  Grimk6,  a  lady  of  good  family  in  South  Carolina, 
who  Avas  formerly  a  slaveholder,  but  who,  from  conviction 
of  its  injustice,  left  the  South,  and  emancipated  her  slaves, 
and  then  entered  the  Society  of  Friends,  of  which  she  is 
now  a  member,  was  about  to  be  married,  and  strangely 
enough  chose  Philadelphia  to  be  the  place  of  her  union  (her 
home  being  at  Boston),  and  this  exciting  time  of  opening  the 
abolition  hall  to  be  the  period  for  its  celebration ;  her  hus- 
band was  a  Mr.  Weld  ;  and,  partaking  of  his  bride's  views 
as  an  abolitionist,  the  joint  invitations  of  the  bride  and 


ABOUTION  RIOTI. 


m 


8or  s  were  spph  U«^:  •     "°"'  ^^''«  a"'^  coloured  perl 

be.,re  be  "tness  T  t^T/T'  '  1^""'  ^'"^'^  ^ad  neC 
any  other  na  T^of  WicV^  A  'Iv  ""•*'  "°''  P''^''«P«  '" 
<^"'-ri^  of  n  r;.  i^      *°J^?'  "  '«  ^'^'^  that  Mr. 

era!  V  ^^n  as  beinT'      '  ^'  '^"  ^^"'  «P°^^«  «f  Gen- 

over  M.  /  u     i"^     ^  rnan-stealer,"  and  "  a  tvrant 

aligh  >n  ralrerdlr i'.'  "«  ''"'  additional' sp'arTs 

The  mob  first  assembled  on  Wednesdav    nn  i  k 

ao.»,  .he  opiLns,  0?^^:  wj , 8--'j,»-"'aoy  of  .Ke 
them  both,   and  then   add  wL*  '         ^  ®"a"  S'^e 

through  private  sources,  aiidwh'at  mlnZ  "^^  '""^'^^^^^ 
vation,  to  complete  the  Xir  Thj  f  n^^' ""^  °T  °^««'' 
Pen„sylvanian.'a  Democrat'^pape'r'^/^iJi:;^^^^^      ''^"^  ''' 

-ylv^Kirrhf  llet^^^^^^^^  a  large  .ob  at  Pe„„. 

evening;  the  affair,  however.  luS  YermTatr*^^^^^^^^ 
more  serious  character  than  the  brekSf  fj!  J'^**  "°  '««"''«  ««  a 
a  very  valiant  demonstration  eithe?  on  fh«  1  ®*  W'ndows.    It  was  not 
themselves  with  throwing  brckS  and  hrnl.'inVI^^         ^h''  ^'""sed 
for  we  understand  that  thi  aSb  L'  ?„''tK;i.^^^^^^^^  ^^«  ^°"»«^ 

of  women ;  and  to  gather  such  an  Irri^  vL  ..  ^*?  chiefly  composeci 
tl..  purpose  of  alarming  femates  was  S  S/.t?  *"^  '^?''  stone^fo? 
according  to  our  notions,  even  if  those  assSS^  *  ""f '^  employment 
abolitionists.    For  the  repuS  on  S  PhS?n^»'^  "^''*  '"'^  *■«»»"«»» 

rt^^hTtT^d^eTJl^S 

usually  put  to  preUbut^^^^  P^P«'^  «'« 

the  fuller  narraSf  thl  r?o  nnJ  fi^""'"^  '""'"^"S'  ^ay  19, 
paper  thus :  """^  °"^  ^^  ^^  g^^en  in  the  same 

n^Ttf  SSl^^brj^^^^^^^^^  r^e«  on  Thu«day 

Magnificent  building  buttL  h«^f„if.-*  .^?'.^"'&  of  this  spacious  anS     . 

...  „^,  ^„,pij  gj^jj^  ^  ^  disgraceful 


^v"^.. 


^^^ 


r/W        >1 


/J 


/A 


V 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


i.O 


I.I 


us 
■it 

u 


140 


2.5 
2.0 

1.8 


Photographic 

Sdences 
Corporation 


1.25  11 1.4 

U 

^ 

6"     - 

► 

^^" 


»;"Q 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


•^«^^ 


A^* 


372 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


monument  of  the  triumph  of  mobism  over  good  order  and  the  law*. 
The  neighbouring  houses  are  somewhat  scorched,  but  suffered  no  mate> 
rial  injury,  as  the  fire  companies  were  permitted  to  play  upon  them,  and 
deserve  great  credit  for  the  effective  manner  in  which  their  duty  was 
performed. 

"  The  hall  itself,  which  was  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Sixth,  near 
Race  street,  was  erected  by  the  Abolition  Society,  and  was  not  finished 
until  last  week.  It  was  ver>'  large,  built  in  the  most  substantial  and 
costly  manner,  and  the  grand  saloon  for  the  purpose  of  meetings  was, 
we  believe,  the  most  spacious  and  elegant  room  of  the  kind  in  Philadel« 
phia,  being  90  feet  in  length  by  about  60  in  breadth,  with  galleries,  &c., 
the  whole  being  capable  of  allowing  from  1800  to  2000  persons  to  be 
comfortably  seated,  and  of  containing  neariy  3000  persons.  There  were, 
besides,  lecture-rooms  and  other  apartments.  The  entire  cost  of  the 
establishment,  including,  we  presume,  the  purchase  of  the  ground,  is 
estimated  at  40,000  dollars.  It  was  first  opened  to  the  public  on  Mon- 
day last,  and  we  are  informed  that  meetings  were  held  and  addresses 
delivered  in  it  every  day  and  evening  up  to  the  time  of  thci  catastrophe. 

"  The  first  tumultuous  proceeding  in  reference  to  the  matter  took 
place  on  Wednesday  evening,  when  a  meeting  was  held,  composed 
chiefly  of  women,  at  which  Garrison,  Mrs.  M.  Chapman,  of  Boston,  Mrs. 
Angelina  Grimkfe  Weld,  Lucretia  Mott,  and  Abdy  Kelly,  delivered  ad- 
dresses. The  audience  was  very  numerous,  and  composed  of  blacks 
and  whites  indiscriminately  mingled.  A  mob  assembled  on  the  outside, 
and  continued  throwing  stones  at  the  windows  until  a  late  hour.  When 
the  meeting  broke  up,  some  of  the  negroes  were  assaulted  as  they  came 
out,  and  the  rest  were  enabled  to  escape  through  the  back  entrances. 
Loud  intimations  were  given  at  this  time  that  a  more  serious  disturb! 
ance  was  in  contemplation,  and  ^Hat  the  destruction  of  the  building  was 
resolved  on. 

"  On  Thursday  much  excitement  prevailed  throughout  the  city,  and 
every  variety  of  rumour  was  in  circulation ;  but  the  abolitionists  held 
their  usual  meetings.  In  the  afternoon  the  crowd  began  to  assembio, 
rapidly  increasing  in  numbers  as  night  approached,  and  at  dark  the  as- 
semblage in  the  neighbourhood  was  very  great.  It  is  stated  in  the  pa- 
pers that  the  mayor  was  on  the  ground  at  an  early  hour,  and,  after 
addressing  the  by-standers,  closed  the  hall  and  retired,  it  being  deter- 
mined that  no  lecture  should  be  given  that  night. 

"Soon  after  eight  o'clock  the  tumult  commenced.  Stones  were 
thrown  at  the  windows,  and  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  stores  in  the 
basement  story,  only  one  of  which  was  occupied,  and  that  as  a  reposi- 
tory for  abolition  tracts,  books,  and  papers,  were  beaten  in.  An  attack 
was  also  made  upon  the  entrances  to  the  hall,  which  being  stout,  were 
battered  at  with  various  instruments  for  a  long  time  before  they  yielded. 
Every  crash  was  received  with  cheers  and  plaudits  from  a  number  of 
the  by-standers,  though  the  active  rioters  were  by  no  means  numerous, 
nor  apparently  very  determined,  for  they  commenced  the  work  of  de- 
struction hesitatingly,  and  did  not  go  on  boldly  until  the  gas-lamp  was 
extinguished  which  shone  upon  them,  and  till  they  obtained  confidence 
by  seeing  that  no  police-ofiicers  were  on  the  ground,  and  no  impediment 
would  be  offered  by  those  in  authority  to  their  lawless  proceedings ;  an 
impunity  as  unexpected  as  it  was  disgraceful  in  the  heart  of  a  populous 
city,  and  at  an  early  hour  in  the  evening.  Having  the  game  thus  com- 
pletely in  their  own  hands,  books  and  papers  were  tossed  into  the  air, 
and  a  few  persons  entered  the  hall.  Hints  about  fire  were  now  bandied 
about,  and  in  a  little  while  lights  were  seen  gleaming  from  the  windows. 
Some  difficulty  seemed  to  be  experienced  in  kindling  the  flames.    One 


ABOUTION  RIOTS. 


878 


stowly  the  occasional  ChTs^lnr^r^^^^^^^^^ 

ever,  the  flames  seized  upon  the  woSh««!L     by  shouts.    Finally,  how- 

whole  edifice  was  a  sheTo"  fire  £2?.;.*"?^ '"  -^  ^^"^  *°"  »S»"the 
a  bnmance  equal  to  that  ofnSav  SnS?*  *•**  j^^^  ^'^  '^  ^^de  with 
witnessed  in  PhUadelphia  foTJeJS  in  »  ^I^^^T**'""  ^^  "ot  been 
elapse  before  the  occu?re5ce  of  She?  Th/"»K  T*  "^^  "<>'«  ^S 
city  seemed  now  to  throng  to  L  ground  and  tL^°^  Population  of  the 
their  object,  romained  quilt.        *         '  ^'^^^  *®  ""*«"»  ^a^wg  attained 

Which  teffte^^^^^^^^^  and  abominable  outn..e. 

cjng  us  to  a  level,  in  point  of  repuS' Vi&l^^^^^  "V  ""^y^^^- 
of  the  Union,  and  teaching  us  to  be  sumrilJi  „r„„.^°^*  r^^""  "««»'<"'» 
madness  may  see  fit  hereafter  to  SS  **  "°**""8r  that  passion  and 

those  ehtertaining  their  y^^s^llt  T     ""^represented  by 
he  appears  to  ha?o  doL  h^^  yet,  from  aU  I  could  learn, 

officfaLean:  w7«Mt"a\fe"hrto'pS^^^^^^^  ^" 

unsupported  bv  that  nn«i/.„  „f  .1.     P*'"?""  "i  •>«  he  wm 
to  the  epot       *  '^      "  "'  *'  fP"'"™  ''ho  crowded 

niMled  as  to  resort  to  this  step 'nor  ?ft,.  ^^"^  ''.?  *" 
search,  were  arms  found  in  Ihli^Z'  '  '  ^^  "8^'"' 
of  any  of  them  dwellrngs  or  on  the  persons 

<i.e  w.  rr„idtt  i!i7the":;s  dt^rir^"'' *' 

-  —  uivav  cnuncMt  iu-.vycrs  oi 


-  s 


874 


PKNNBTLTAmii. 


ir 


Philadelphia,'  who  had  taken  a  part  in  the  proceedings  of 
opening  the  hall,  Mr.  David  Paul  Brown,  and  demanded 
his  appearance  before  them.  The  doors  being  bolted  be- 
low, the  wife  of  this  gentleman  appeared  at  the  window 
tod  inquired  their  object,  when  tiiey  reiterated  their  de- 
mand to.  see  her  husband.  Fortunately  for  both,  he  had 
that  day  gone  into  the  country,  so  that  she  could  state  this 
Mrith  perfect  truth.  They  were  greatly  disappointed,  and 
with  difficulty  prevailed  on  to  retire  ;  but  before  they  went 
they  avowed  their  intention  to  have  tarred  and  feathered 
Mr.  Brown  if  they  had  got  him  into  their  possession,  for 
the  part  he  took  in  advocating  the  cause  of  the  abolitionists. 
This  fact  was  not  made  public  in  any  of  the  journals, 
from  a  desire,  probably,  not  to  increase  the  danger  to  Mr. 
Brown's  life  by  the  mention  of  the  feet  at  the  time  the  ex* 
eitement  was  at  its  height;  but  I  was  assured  of  its  truth 
by  a  gentleman  who  knew  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
personally.  The  following  particulars  of  farther  attempts  at 
ovtrage  on  Saturday  evening  are  from  the  National  Gazette 
of  Mmiday^  the  21st: 

"  On  Saturday  ereninff  a  mob  gathered  in  Sassafras  Alley,  and  com^ 
meneed  an  assault  on  the  house  of  a  coloured  family  by  breaking  in 
the  doors  and  windows,  and  scattering  the  furniture  in  the  street.  The 
family,  it  is  believed,  escaped  without  personal  ii^ury. 

"  The  same  evening  great  excitement  was  produced  by  the  circum- 
stance of  an  assault  made  by  a  coloured  on  a  white  matt,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Lombard  and  Sixth  streets.  Colonel  Watmougb,  the  sher* 
iff,  assisted  hv  a  police  force,  was  successful  in  preventing  any  serious 
.disturbance." 

This  ;7retended  assault  was  afterward  ascertained  to  be 
tito  av^ac^k  of  a  white  man  on  a  black,  and  the  remonstrance 
and  attenipt  at  defence  of  the  latter ;  so  that  no  single  act 
occurred  by  which  the  negroes  could  be  reproached  with 
having  taken  the  slightest  steps  to  provoke  the  hostility  or 
to  resist  the  measures  pursued  towards  their  advocates. 

The  whole  affair  was  the  most  unjustifiable  assumption, 
on  the  part  of  a  small  body  of  whites,  of  a  power  to  deny 
to  others,  equally  lawful  citizens  with  themselves,  the  right 
of  freely  and  publicly  discussing  a  subject  which  they 
deemed  impoctant,  and  on  which  they  desired  to  proclaim 
thilr  opinions  to  the  world.  And  the  controversy  being 
conducted  by  one  party  appealing  to  reason,  and  using  the 
tongue,  the  pen,  and  the  press,  and  the  other  party  appeal* 
ing  to  force,  and  using  the  torch,  the  axe,  and  the  crowbar, 
it  is  not  difficult  to  determine  which  were  the  innocent  and 
which  the  guilty. 


ABOUTION  RIOmr.— MBBTWtf   OF  PIREMBN.  «g 

anfthl^J''  turpentine,  and  other  combitible  m^Serials  : 

irinp«  ««? T  T  I  "*®  ^®^®  companies,  who  play  the  en- 
work  of  H  y^l^  '^*'  '^^*^'  undoubtedly  assLed  in  th^ 
work  of  destruction,  inasmuch  as  thev  refused  to  n J  .w 

*Twe  °'  &:r ""  "■'  «""•  "^  wS^t  flag's 

Sv  i!j  .t  "iT """y  "•  "»  destruction.  So  com- 
fh!m   .iT  ""  ""*  '"™  pwmitted  to  carry  aU  beC 

♦Z^  5     .  I****^®  ^^°  ^^'■e  additionally  shocked  at  anv  at. 

:SLtnftI!!ir  ■""»*'  '"^  «"-'■  ■^'"  ^" 

incendiary;  but  though  this  declaration  a!dthp  I'  ® 
sions  of  the  public  journals,  may  be  taTln  «.  1^  '''''P'^' 
justice,  whether  willingly  o   Sit  t  "  ^  if  T^"  *? 

„.,.^„,„^,„„  „^  ^g  onenaejfs;  no  pains  were 


876 


raNNSTLVANIA. 


taken,  in  short,  to  vindicate  the  laws  and  punish  its  viola* 
ters,  by  which  the  rulers  of  the  city  placed  themselves  in 
the  same  position  of  tacit  accessories  as  the  firemen  did, 
who,  with  engines  in  their  hands,  refused  to  use  them  to 
extinguish  the  conflagration.  This  is  only  to  be  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  the  opinion  of  the  gentry,  or  most  in- 
fluential class  of  citizens  in  Philadelphia,  was  in  favour  of 
such  non-interference ;  and  the  mayor,  finding  their  dispo- 
sition on  this  subject  to  run  in  the  same  channel  with  his 
own,  was  content  to  let  the  matter  sleep  imdisturbed  until 
the  excitement  was  over. 

This  deference  to  public  prejudice  rather  than  maintain- 
ing the  dignity  of  the  law  will,  no  doubt,  on  reflection,  be 
deeply  repented  of  even  by  those  who,  for  momentary 
peace,  have  sacrificed  great  principles  of  public  duty ;  and 
that  this  has  indeed  already  begun  to  take  place  in  some 
minds,  may  be  inferred  from  the  very  sensible  observations 
which  appeared  in  the  National  Cfazette  on  the  evening  of 
Monday,  the  21st,  when  the  riots  were  at  an  tad,  and  when 
a  few  days  only  of  time  had  allowed  reason  and  reflection 
to  reassume  their  sway.     This  is  its  editorial  article : 

"  One  niffht  of  riot  takes  away  a  city's  reputation  for  three  hundred 
and  sixty-five  of  repose  and  necurity.  Uiots  in  this  country,  though 
growing  out  of  locaJ  and  transient  causes,  are  viewed  and  employed 
abroad  as  the  strongest  argument  against  our  form  of  government. 

"  It  is  of  no  avail  that  we,  in  our  turn,  can  retort  with  what  we  deem 
entire  effect,  by  saying  that  the  Peninsula  of  Spain  presents  more  vio- 
lence, bloodshed,  and  cruelty  in  a  single  campaign  than  the  Union  du- 
nng  its  whole  history ;  that  in  despotic  countries  popular  commotion 
is  an  ordinary  occurrence  ;  that  the  life  of  the  Frencn  monarch  is  at- 
tempted periodically ;  and  that  in  Great  Britain  illegal  combinations  and 
tumults  are  constantly  occurring;.  These  all  are  overiodked  in  hunting 
up  and  presenting,  with  supercilious  acrimony,  our  lapses  from  a  state 
of  absolute  immunity  /Vom  all  such  outrage.  In  one  sense  it  is  a  tacit 
acknowledgment  that  personal  security  and  the  rights  of  property 
ought  to  be  better  respected  and  enforced  under  a  Democratic  form  of 
government  than  under  any  other,  but  that  balance  of  the  argument 
goes  for  nothing  against  the  practical  forge  of  the  other  set  forth.  The 
Parisian,  secure  in  going  to  the  opera  and  eating-house  by  virtue  of  a 
hundred  thousand  bayonets,  will  thank  Heaven  that  his  lot  is  not  cast  in 
such  a  barbarous  spot  as  Philadelphia,  which  ^except  in  a  few  instances) 
has  been  kept  in  order  by  the  show  of  a  few  oatons. 

"  These  considerations  should  be  ever  held  by  the  sentient  portion  of 
the  community ;  and  they  never  should,  under  any  circumstances  what- 
ever, suspend,  either  by  opinion,  apathy,  or  indiscreet  conduct  of  any 
kigd,  the  force  of  the  grand  precept,  that  *  under  all  circumstances  and 
at  every  cost,  the  supremacy  of  the  laws  must  be  maintained.'  This 
precept  carries  with  it  the  provision  that  adequate  means  must  be  taken 
to  maintain  them." 

I  cordially  agree  with  this  writer  in  all  the  opinions  he 


ABOLITION  KIOTS-ATTACK  OK  THK  "ledoeH."  877 

";:i7r:s;^Te^^^^^  be  too 

authorities,  yet  il  is  imS^n:?^^^^^^^  ^  '"^^  P"Wio 

cumstance  of  a  population  of  sS)  000  «T^  V^^  ''"^  *'»'• 
feet  security  of^rson  and  p^lr^  fexclT  in?^  ™  P*''" 
where  this  question  of  slavPrV^  o  ?  i  ?f  ^  ,°"^y  '"  <^ases 
M  knowledgeof  the  fact  Zft^  «g?tated)  and  this  with  the 
the  police  iiSufficien/  ani  t^  ?!u*'''''^^"*^^"*^^ 
force^ocallt,rcri:f4,V^^^^^^^^^  '^^"^^^  ^'^'-'X 

of  sustenance,  conteSnt  of  nnn^^^  ^  ^^i""'^^  sufficiency 
that  constant  teZtadnn^l  ^'*'°"'  ""**  *"  "I'sence  of 
out  of  the  pover?^^  or  IV^^^^^  ""^^««'  ^^ich  spring. 

labouringSes^f  eVI^^^^^^^^^^^  ^^  ^'««g  i«  tfe 

After  I  period  of  sev«al  da^  2^^    k  "''''  ""^  *''^°°«- 
gan  to  move    and  a  J  L„„  ^  '  ^^  P"^^°  authorities  be- 

^yor,  offering  r'ewTrdTs'SJrriLrj^r  7'%  ''  ''^ 
of  the  incendiaries.     On  the  day  after  thilo        '^"^o^^'X 

able  for  damSdon?L^^^^  "«  "«de  .Hswer! 

bilitv  thnt  ^  «airor  ana  proprietors,  there  was  every  proba- 

followW  art,r"^i  ^^""^  ^«"""  speedily  demolished.     The 
following  arucle,  from  the  Public  Ledger  of  May  24,  refers 

slavprv  n^.-H    *?^'  *°  ^°^^9m  from  interference  with  the  snMm.*!  «r 

"  Durine  the  recent  oT/>i«Atn»~* _*„••-    .        -   . 

Vol.  I— U  u        ^"■^'^^''  "^^  siumoHwy  renamed  from  men- 


1 


8t8 


PKNN8TLTANIA. 


tioning  that  we  should  not  interfere  with  the  subject  of  alarery.  Know- 
ing that  we  were  currently  charsed  with  being  abolitionisUi,  and  per- 
ceiving that  the  mob  had  selected  our  ofBce  for  destruction  under  that 
supposition,  we  were  resolved  to  utter  no  disclaimer  upon  the  subject 
while  any  disorderly  spirit  prevailed.  To  deny  that  we  were  abolition- 
ists  whiie  a  mob  was  around  our  doors,  denouncing  vengeance  against 
us  because  it  believed  us  to  be  such,  would  have  borne  the  appearance 
of  deprecating  its  wrath.  We  have  never  yet  been  awed  by  the  law- 
less, and  trust  that  we  never  shall  be ;  and,  instead  of  treating  with 
thbm,  when  assembled  in  force,  or  attempting  to  appease  their  anger, 
we  shall  never  fail  to  invoke  against  them  the  penalties  of  the  law.  and 
to  meet  them  with  forcible  resistance." 

As  every  succeeding  day  strengthened  the  cause  of  those 
who  had  been  so  unjustly  persecuted,  and  weakened  that  of 
the  persecutors,  so  every  day  produced  some  new  proof  of 
that  growing  strength.  The  first  was  the  arrest  of  one  of 
the  incendiaries,  who,  as  will  be  seen,  was  a  member  of  a 
"  highly  respectable"  family ;  for  the  anti-abolition  riots  are 
almost  always  fomented  and  encouraged  by  persons  of  this 
class,  whose  pecuniary  interests,  or  those  of  their  connex< 
ions,  either  are,  or  are  believed  to  be,  in  danger  from  giving 
freedom  to  the  slave,  and  whose  prejudices,  therefore,  on  this 
subject  are  the  hottest,  fiercest,  and  most  ungovernable. 
The  following  is  the  paragraph  in  which  the  announcement 
of  this  arrest  was  made  in  the  newspapers  : 

"  We  learn  that  a  man,  who  is  represented  to  be  of  a  highly  respect- 
able ftmily,  was  arrested  on  Tuesday,  and  taken  before  Alderman 
Bmns,  c\aiffei  with  having  been  concerned  in  the  recent  destruction  of 
Pennsylvtaa  Hall.  Mr.  Shotwell  appeared  as  the  principal  witness, 
and  testified  that  he  was  in  the  hall  on  the  night  of  the  conflagration,  and 
saw  the  pnsonfir  busily  engaged  in  tearing  down  the  blmds,  and  inciting 
others  to  the  destruction  of  the  building.  He  has  known  the  prisoner 
for  eight  or  ten  years,  and  is  positive  as  to  the  individual,  who  was 
bound  over  m  the  ^um  of  3000  dollars  for  his  appearance  before  the  al- 
derman on  Friday,  a  13  o'clock." 

The  day  following  this  a  letter  appeared  in  the  leading 
journals,  from  the  eminent  barrister,  Mr.  David  Paul  Brown, 
which  excited  among  his  friends  considerable  apprehension 
for  his  personal  safety,  and  which,  from  the  boldness  of  its 
tone  at  such  a  moment,  and  the  force  of  its  reasoning,  was 
admired  even  by  those  who  deprecated  his  conduct.  The 
letter  is  so  characteristic  as  to  be  worth  transcribing  in  some 
of  its  principal  passages : 

"TO  THE  PUBLIC. 
"I  am  a  member  and  an  advocate  of  the  Abolition  Society,  and  shaU 
continue  so  to  be  m  despite  of  mobs.  1  am  a  firm  friend  of  rational  lib- 
erty, and  ani  not  to  be  awed  into  its  abandonment  Inr  licentiousness  or 
vice.  I  shaU  not  quarrel  with  those  who  differ  with  me  upon  these  sub- 
jects :  they  may  freely  enjoy  their  opinion,  I  shaU  boldly  maintain  mine. 


MTTER   OF  AN  AB0UTI0NI8T.  379 

[.'arjitUr^tSr tt^^^^^^^  y^ere  the. 

buleru  Hnd  refractory  by  ren^ncin/ .Stfrnf^P**  k?  f '??"'*'«  »»»«  <«r. 
sacredly  ^niert^i^ sh  SSy{!T^ ,ui'''^  I.splemnly  and 
I  am  governed :  ^  """'  "^^  *''«  principles  by  which 

'in  for  niT  opinioM  rafler  wron*. 
Opimon  ^fb,  ,„,^on  to  myTurt.' 

rendered  je^i^,  either  bi^^aifv-i?;  *°  ''^°'^'  Pn>f««'onally,  I  hiJe 
avowed  mvaelftorthef^ndofTml"'^^^^^  "  »hat  of  havhS 

a™  adverse  .  -alganliL^  a-nl^-J^i^SSTrS^^^^^^^ 

thus  expressed:  ' I  confess  whftlm^''7'*'T*  «°»ertained  by  me  are. 
human  freedom,  Btm7it'^rTlV(lStlT^^^^^^  oT 

a  avery  instantly  and  with  a  sTnri?  blow  ?  «i^.  m"S®  ^^  ">«  ''^ains  of 
blow  was  struck:  hesitatrno  fSrmyZf  nSSh''"'*?**  '^^°'«  »»'« 
of  the  government,  not  for  thriSSl^i^^^i'^I^^''^y'''''>''*^^^y 
society  or  upon  the  slave  8tate8^S^n„®*"'r?f  ^^^  measure  upon 
It  prove  dangerous),  but  for  the  Jllv/»\h  '"'°^°^  *''*'2«  "''a^ona  co'Sd 
niass,  morally  or  SSu^  i^a  c^ndSfof  ^f/ ,r^^^  '"^ 

sudden  and  important  a  change     The  SSS  n^^^K^ /^i"*  *''<'">  'of  ao 
upon  them  wodd  prove  too  Dowerfi.l  fnI^S°(  ^'^''i  *""*  '^O""  pour  in 

jJole^^^LSeSZTe  S^et^ VatL^^^' \»-'  »"»'  ^he 

the  turbulent,spirit  of  the  times  whfoK     *5°'"'°"  "  *«  '»«  ascribed  to 
'Bible  opportunity,  and  whLh  will'  ^tL^^I^^""  ''"P*  "P«°  ^^e^y  Poa- 

the  very  individ&X  Xm  i?  is  JL^^^^^^^  ^  8'»»  itsel/ u^n 

•'  I  have  thought  propTr  to  make  thKS.«^/°''^'^*^  '^^  encouragS 

adversaries,  but  to  satSy  m?frilnd8  f.  ^^' '°"'  "°*  *°  conciliate  my 
cant  nothing  that  I  have  said  ■  i TSn.  '^.^?*""*  '"  '"«''»»  io'A-  I  re- 
property  is^under  the  Jro Stion  of  £  law  anS^***"' '  ""^^ '»°"« '  my 
protection,  there  I  leave  it ;  of  my  faS  ^^J'i"'*^''?  ^'^Z"'  '^^t 
the  guardian,  and  wiU  never'p^iSiZW  S| -^^^^^ 

hazard  to  their  fSoftt^H  eT  XTthi  atti  a\T 

atTewVrst't^°  -pf ^  '^"^^^^  toThetor;:t 

ions  they  approved  ardTholtetTs&aT^^^^^    T' 

be  moved  in  favour  of  the'«,,ff!P       "^  ^'^P^'^V  began  to 
assumeda  highertone  a   winur.''  l"^  u""""  '^^  P^««« 

shaU  quote,  fr^om  trDemor^i-      '''"  ^I  '^-^  *^*  "^^'^^^  I 
u        ,     Mi.i  me  iieraocra^u  paper,  the  I'ennsylvanian. 


389 


PBNNSTLVANIA. 


••  Lawi  are  enacted,  not  only  to  be  obejred  when  it  is  agreeable  to  do 
so,  for  then  the  end  would  be  attained  without  them,  but  for  the  pur< 
pose  of  controlHng  our  impulses,  and  for  securing  the  ultimate  good  of 
all  by  occasional  sacrifices  of  individual  will.  The  general  result  is  that 
which  is  contemplated  by  enlightened  legislation,  and  its  protection  it 
extended  alike  to  the  good  and  the  bad,  to  the  wise  and  the  foolish,  and, 
above  all,  to  the  minority  as  well  as  to  the  majority.  To  say,  therefore, 
that  there  are  cases  in  a  country  governed  like  this  in  which  the  laws 
may  be  suspended,  is  to  break  down  every  barrier  upon  which  the  citi- 
zen relies  for  safety,  and  to  return  once  more  to  the  practice  of  barba- 
rous ages.  A  new  arbiter  of  his  fate  is  introduced,  and  both  life  and 
property  are  made  dependant  upon  the  will  of  those  who  possess  the 
physical  power  at  the  moment.  It  is  therefore  far  better  that  multi- 
tudes of  evils  should  be  tolerated,  than  that  a  single  blpw  should  be  thus 
given  at  the  very  framework  of  our  social  fabric.  It  is  destructive  of 
the  vital  principle  of  Republicanism  as  it  exists  among  us ;  and  upon 
mere  selfish  considerations,  if  there  were  no  other,  it  shpuld  be  sternly 
and  unflinchingly  opposed.  If  the  restraints  of  law  and  of  the  dictates* 
of  toleration  are  thrown  off  to-day  for  the  purpose  of  intimidating  the 
ultra-abolitionists  and  amalgamationists,  there  is  no  earthly  reason  why 
it  may  not  be  proclaimed  to-morrow  that  certaip  party  principles  are 
offensive  to  public  opinion ;  that  the  printing  offices  which  publish  then* 
must  be  burned,  and  that  the  leaders  of  party  who  espouse  them  must 
be  sacrificed  to  appease  a  'just  indignation.' " 

From  the  intercourse  I  enjoyed  with  a  very  extensive  cir- 
cle of  society  in  Philadelphia,  I  believe  this  article  expresses 
the  sentiments  of  nine  tenths  of  its  inhabitants;  and  it 
would  be  therefore  most  unjust  to  consider  the  riotous  and 
incendiary  conduct  of  a  mob  formed  of,  at  the  most,  500 
persons,  and  of  these  not  more  than  100  taking  any  active 
part  in  the  proceedings,  as  characteristic  of  the  general 
state  of  society  in  a  city  that  numbers  200,000  residents. 
The  mobs  of  London  in  Lord  George  Gordon's  riots,  and 
of  Birmingham,  when  the  Church  and  King  loyalists  burned 
down  Dr.  Priestley's  house,  or  those  of  Bristol,  who,  but  a 
few  years  since,  set  fire  to  that  city,  and  plundered  the 
houses  during  the  conflagration,  might  as  well  be  taken  bv 
any  American  as  a  fair  sample  of  English  society. 


INSTITUTION  rOR  THI  BLIND. 


Ml 


ji*'%^ 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


PS:MS  rS^^  for  th.  i^^u^  «r  e^  B««,  -»r„ 


P«ii.-.AppI,c.t  a,  of  Animal  MaSJm  t&S    n^'VIS?  JP«rfo™»?l*'H>o«» 
Iwhrnent—SUitiiUM  of  the  Poor  and  Lun^ir.    ?w^  CoropJatanM.  of  tba  EaUb- 


louaa  of  Philadel- 
-Diataato  of  Sailora  for  iiland  'sitnalK        °"'*^°  """^  °""'"*'' 


spirit  of  ita  fir«t  f#%..»^<>.     .,""""8  ^ise,  are  to  be  seen  the 
viding  Mylum.  .nited  to  thTrelitf  nf  ^"^""''  •>/  pro- 

fX?  i;"'"''*i''?"S'^°"*  ^^^  communitl  in  favoTof  the 
undertaking,  and  this  once  roused,  thp  mi^o  'z  a^_-_V'* 


PINNaYLTANlA. 


t  ^■ 


tion  flowed  in  apace.  An  application  wa«  made  to  the  State 
Legislature  for  a  grant  to  build  a  suitable  edifice,  and  the 
answer  was  that  the  state  would  grant  1U,000  dollars  for 
that  purpose,  provided  20,000  dollars  could  be  raised  for  the 
aame  object  by  the  community.  The  experiment  was  tried, 
and,  soon  after  it  was  commenced,  the  sum  of  26,000  dol- 
lars was  raised,  and  a  fund  thus  at  once  formed  beyond  the 
expectations  of  the  most  sanguine. 

With  this  a  suitable  spot  of  land  was  purchased  in  Arch- 
street,  not  far  from  the  Schuylkill  River,  and  a  neat  and 
commodious  building  erected  thereon ;  the  area  occupied 
by  the  house  and  grounds  being  247  feet  in  front  by  220  in 
depth,  including  gardens,  grassplats,  and  playgrounds  for 
the  pupils ;  while  the  interior  of  the  building  possesses  every 
requisite  accommodation  for  the  instruction,  subsistence,  and 
lodging  of  as  many  as  200  inmutes. 

During  the  five  years  that  have  elapsed  since  its  iirst 
foundation,  the  institution  has  grown  steadily  in  public  fa- 
vour, and  reeeiv«d  a  proportionately  increased  public  aid ; 
till,  in  the  past  year,  1837,  a  most  munificent  addition  was 
made  to  its  funds  by  the  bequest  of  one  of  its  most  active 
patrons,  William  Yotmg  Birch,  who  at  his  death  left  the 
whole  of  his  property,  valued  at  150,000  dollars,  as  a  per- 
petual endowment  for  the  support  of  this  institution.  Mr. 
Birch  was  a  native  of  Mahchester,  in  England,  at  which 
place  he  was  born  on  the  9th  of  November,  1764.  He  re- 
sided at  Birmingham  during  the  time  of  the  riots  by  which 
the  house  of  Dr.  Priestley  was  destroyed ;  and  being  one  of 
his  religious  followers  as  a  Unitarian,  he  took  so  prominent 
a  part  in  defending  the  person  and  property  of  his  friend 
and  pastor,  that  he  found  it  prudent  to  leave  England  for 
America.  He  settled  in  Philadelphia,  and  pursued  the  busi- 
ness of  a  boolcseller,  in  which,  during  forty  years  of  indus- 
trious and  honourable  exertion,  he  amassed  a  handsome  for- 
tune ;  and  while  his  whole  life  was  characterized  by  active 
eflbrts  in  favour  of  philanthropic  and  charitable  objects,  his 
death  was  honoured  by  the  munificent  bequest  of  all  his 
earnings  to  the  Institution  for  the  Instruction  of  the  Blind. 

The  number  of  pupils  at  present  in  the  institution  is  fifty, 
of  whom  thirty-nine  are  from  Pennsylvania,  four  from  New- 
Jersey,  three  from  Delaware,  two  from  Maryland,  one  from 
Virginia,  and  one  from  South  Carolina ;  and  of  the  whole 
number,  thirty  are  males  and  twenty  females,  the  youngest 
being  about  ten  years  of  age,  and  the  oldest  eighteen,  each 
■ex  being  superintended  by  its  respective  teachers. 


INSXnUCTIOIf   OF  THB   BLIND.  ||| 

blocks,  on  S  the  irrof  ^  T**  *^.*"  *""**  *°°^"W« 
sight.  ThZlZntnZu  I  *^"*'*'  ""PP"*"  ^'^^  "•"^  "^ 
prenared  for  fi!m  ♦  "®  ^^  imitating  raided  charactert 

Ihe  mere  occupation  of  learninir  anv  of  th,.-«  ;. 

kettle-dnimo     rriTi^      T.  '   .  ®  *'o™l>one,  and  one  pair  of 

srSt'^"!;^"''  "ocupations  are  at  the  same  time  taught  with 
«^ed,"^fet  tal'LT  "'  ''V"'l»8»  k"  been  Sj 


pan  of  which  is-u^ra;-;  „peTa-K°.r!f.*:i' 


884 


PSNNSYLYANU. 


cordage  of  different  kinds,  and  the  upper  part  of  it  is  divided 
into  workshops,  in  which  different  trades  are  carried  on. 
We  saw  some  of  the  pupils  al  work  making  brushes  of  va- 
rious kinds,  others  making  shoes,  baskets,  mats,  mattresses, 
and  various  articles  of  turnery,  all  of  them  surprisingly  well 
executed  as  productions  of  the  blind. 

The  female  pupils  are  instructed  in  sewing,  and  fancy- 
work  of  various  kinds,  and  they  thread  their  needles  and 
perform  their  work  with  almost  as  much  dexterity  as  if  they 
could  see,  appearing  also  to  be  as  happy  as  possible  at  their 
labours. 

A  printing-press,  with  a  suitable  supply  of  the  types  used 
expressly  for  printing  books  for  the  blind,  which  indent  the 
paper  deeply  on  one  side  without  ink,  so  as  to  leave  a  rais- 
ed or  embossed  character  on  the  other  side,  has  been  lately 
provided  for  the  ii.9titution ;  and  with  this,  a  monthly  pe- 
riodical, written  and  printed  by  the  pupils,  is  prepared  and 
issued,  under  the  title  of  "  The  Students'  Magazine."  We 
were  presented  with  the  first  four  numbers  of  this  excellent 
and  interesting  work,  which  is  highly  creditable  to  its  au- 
thors, and  cannot  fail  to  be  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the  in- 
stitution. The  objects  contemplated  by  its  publication  are 
these:  1.  To  provide  the  pupils  with  new  reading,  made 
up  of  extracts  from  such  works  as  would  be  too  expensive 
to  print  entire.  2.  The  more  rapid  advancement  of  the  pu- 
pils in  composition,  from  a  public  exhibition  of  their  tal- 
ents in  this  way.  3.  To  awaken  the  interest  and  excite  the 
attention  of  the  public  in  behalf  of  this  interesting  class  of 
their  fellow-beings.  4.  The  presenting  to  the  blind  who 
may  be  scattered  over  the  rest  of  the  country,  and  who,  for 
various  reasons,  may  never  enter  a  public  institution,  a 
means  of  communication  between  themselves  and  others 
subject  to  the  same  privation  of  sight,  of  which  there  w;ll 
always  be  many.  A  striking  proof  of  its  utility  in  this  last 
respect  has  already  occurred.  A  copy  of  the  magazine 
was  sent  by*  one  of  the  pupils  in  the  institution  to  a  blind 
lady  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  who,  in  her  correspond- 
ence with  the  pupil  in  question,  thus  refers  to  it : 

"Jan.  18, 1838. — When  informed  that  you  had  passed  through  our 
village,  I  anxiously  awaited  your  return,  laid  all  my  plans  for  detaining 
you,  and  anticipated  the  pleasant  hours  we  should  spend  together ;  no- 
thing  could  have  reconciled  me  to  the  disappointment  but  the  knowl- 
edge of  your  being  pleasantly  situated  where  you  are.  I  have  never 
had  the  melancholy  pleasure  of  meeting  with  any  female  friend  in  my 
owii  situation,  and  never  with  any  one  deprived  of  sight  from  child- 
hood ;  I  think  we  certainly  should  have  some  feelings  in  common,  and 
find  sympaihy  thai  we  could  find  nowhere  else.    Is  it  noi  so  i 


BDCCATION  OP  AN  IDIOT.  535 

music  lessons  t  Everything  rellttnt  ^  ?i  ">tere8ted  m  t  bo  yo^  tak* 
ing  to  me;  and  I  wa7r3/lViK 

some  weeks  since,  that  S  waf  an  prSf^J  •'''*'  mentioned  to  me, 
from  amonir  vou-  but  I  fpnrVl-.  „?f  «"  «*Pectation  of  issu  ne  a  Daner 

outinconveffi;,SmTetfeTh?esnrinSf^^  I/yoa/uld,??Sh! 
to  the  pleasure  of  receiving  themTf  I  Lffif  &  'I  **"^^  !^^  "'"el* 
self),  you  will  greatly  oblige  me  "  "    *"®  *°  '^^  *^««»  my- 

se  Ju'-  ulitn  whiiKrlrd;^^^^^^^  »>«*  ^  hesitated  to 

to  me.  I  have  not  learned  how  it  came  to  fhpv^f^^'"^  was  handed 
to  read ;  I  should  think  it  could  i.L«^tK  the  viUage ;  it  was  lent  me 
I  wish  to  subscribe  for  it  I  send  ?l^  »! f*®  T'^  '^"'"'"*  ''^"'y.  and  as 
and  you,  who  have  ma^sSi  to  S.t^^^^^^^^  "vi^  ^  ^'-  P"«il«nder ; 
how  anxiously  I  shall  awnit  ^i  L  •  *®'®**  7°"'  ''^n  never  imairine 
welcome  T  WhS  ^Sd  Jhfs  »  r  u  *H4^¥*  *'»»»  ^Sl 

let.. ,  but  I  Shan  hJ^^rthlrl^^ffATrr^^^^^^ 

ofyeat"warLrwSei"ne«  aiS?  °'^'''  '''^i,'"  ei«.amstances 
for  a  scanty  subsistence  uSn?«  fS?  *  S- ^P"  J'^'''^'^'  depending 
He  was  brought  to  the  no?^nf»Ll*"^/*^"i?''*'  °f  «n  aged  /elaUve! 
niitted  him.  When  firs"  idmittp^h^'^^l^"*  °^  °'"'  institution,  who  adl 
Without  assistrce  Ss  utte^ce  w-1^^^^^^  '"^f  "5"^^*'  "«'  ^a»k 
and  he  aDoeared  to  imJL!:.  j  ®  ^^^  mcoherent  and  unintelliiriWe 
dates;  bu^TnJIplyVt^^^^^^^^^  «**^«"''h  ««  relatfd  to 

the  week,  of  any  day  TiheveTJL^T^l  'r'^"^"^  """^  ^^^^  day  of 
with  great  preciLn.^Bevon/SK^-™fn1  *^  '''i*"^^'  "^^^e  moon 
ness.*  .There  is^end  o^fli^^s-t  tCrJ '-'t^^^^ 
mation  and  answer  to  almost  evp^irnnp^^l  ^I  ^'^  constj^t  excla- 

could  walk  alone  eat  wfthoT,?a«Vct  'earned  the  use  of  his  limbs,  and 
herently.  At  thS  Sreseit  t?m«  h«  1"^^ ^^^^  "**f  '^'^^^'f  ^^^e  co- 
metic,  Ld  geogXE^?naU  which  i  Mr  VIhi*^'."^'  ^™™'?«'''  «"th- 
indisputably  improving.'"  '      ^''  *^"edlander  remarks,  'he  is 

puJJi/r'mSitrofLt  *'  'r'™'"'  -'"^^s  <"'<'*« 

i^ui^ii  III  ine  making  ol  twme    and  in  our  conveT<*atinn  »;♦>. 
him  we  witnessed  the  extraordinary  facuirwh?ch  h"  ^il 
fndl  «Vt"^"*'"^  ""'"^«'«'  and  naming^ri^^ular  la^J; 

eSe  L^mostLv?  J'^^^'^^^^y  ^^  ^^^  as  accurate  a  knowl- 
hewarinshortTn^^^'  age  not  subject  to  any  infirmity; 

Aw.«    °*'i."' '  .""'^^^c'^^j  wiiu  eaucaiion. 

V^  L  J^V^'''"'"'  33  '^'  ^"S*"^  compositions  of 


m 


PBNN8TI.TAMIA. 


Bome  of  the  pupils  of  the  institution,  two  short  sentences 
and  a  letter  will  be  sufficient  to  show  that  thoughts  as  well 
as  words  are  at  theyr  command. 

One  of  the  pupils,  William  Churchman,  writes,  "  There 
is  this  difference  between  happiness  and  wisdom :  he  who 
thinks  himself  the  happiest  man  really  is  so ;  but  he  that 
thinks  himself  the  wisest  is  generally  the  greatest  fool." 

Another  pupil  writes,  "  Truth  is  the  basis  of  every  virtue. 
The  Scriptures  teach  us  the  best  way  of  living,  the  noblest 
way  of  suffering,  and  the  most  comfortable  way  of  dying." 

The  following  is  the  letter  of  another  of  the  pupils  refer- 
red to : 

"Mr.S ,  "Feb.  16, 1838. 

*'  I  think  time  has  got  new  wings— at  least  she  flies  remarkably  swift, 
for  the  day  on  which  I  am  accustomed  to  write  has  arrived,  and  found 
ipe  in  a  very  dull  mood.  I  have  nothing  particularly  concerning  our- 
selves to  say.  The  winter,  so  far,  has  been  very  mild,  though  cold 
enough  for  me,  and  nothing  but  the  dinner>bell  can  induce  me  to  leave 
my  best  friend,  the  stove. 

'>'  The  Germans  are  doing  wonders ;  they  now  make  wooden  violin- 

E layers  ;  but  never  mind,  our  forests  can  dance  to  anything  they  play, 
esides  sustain  any  character  you  choose. 

"  This  is  very  troublesome  work ;  I  think  I  shall  get  an  automaton 
amanuensis,  which  will  write  to  you  while  I  attend  to  my  own  busi- 
ness. 

"  Some  say  you  think  hard  of  me  for  writing  in  this  style ;  in  this 
you  may  use  your  pleasure.  I  write  for  you  to  read,  and  if  you  read 
more  than  I  write,  you  need  not  charge  it  to  me. 

"E.  Whmlak." 

Such  are  the  results  already  produced  by  this  excellent 
institution  during  the  first  five  years  of  its  existence  ;  and, 
but  for  its  aid,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  majority  of 
the  fifty  pupils  now  made  useful  and  happy  under  its  roof, 
would  have  been  miserable  to  themselves  and  a  burden  to 
others.  Its  ample  means  and  constantly-increasing  popu« 
larity  cannot  fail  to  enlarge  the  sphere  of  its  utility ;  and 
with  so  excellent  a  director  as  Mr.  Friedlander  has  proved 
himself  to  be,  there  is  no  limit  to  the  amount  of  happiness 
it  may  produce. 

T' e  Asylum  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  is  a  kindred  institu- 
tion, which  provides  comfortably  for  the  unfortunate  class 
of  beings  who  are  deprived  of  speech  and  hearing,  and  in- 
structs them  as  usefully  and  as  agreeably  as  the  blind  are 
taught  at  their  exclusive  establishment.  The  Asylum  for 
the  Deaf  and  Dumb  is  situated  in  Broad-street,  in  a  fine 
open  and  airy  space.  The  building  is  neat  and  commo- 
dious, and  all  its  internal  arrangements  are  well  adapted  to 

&XZC       TT  CSXXtO     Vi       LXIU       LrUL/lXOa  A*       TTIRCT      A*iCTft      VK?IM  P-'X*'-*tV-^4      «li       .a-v^-WJfcy 


iNiMu  UitKrmu. 


ssr 


with  a  gtani  from  the  state  of  8000  dollars  >.  .  i.    u- 
fund,  and  a  farther  annual  grant  oflBO  doZ.  f     ''"'l*"« 
digen.  deaf  and  dumb  ohiKat  it  mdf  r^e^  «"^  .'"• 
and  edueate.     The  soale  of  the  establSentT' o,'.   ^    ' 
«me"a„d^^"•''"''•  ^."'«  »«>«  "f^.trS'l'T 

;sr/rrs^s^r;nr4''resrj™r?- 

r  ■L^L'"  °'  "»■'»'!  •-*»  y^'  e'r'  T^;^  ^oy  r,: 

put  into  a  magnetic  seep  by  beine  madp  tn  Mti-    ^- 
some  pressed  their  nails  so  as  to  imbed  them  in  h,«  V  k  f^ 

?:rH%"rg;r4Leiorin.'£E;P- 

insensible  as  to  all  the  rest.  '  *^'^  ^^  ™  ^ 

J,pf7*^!."/"°^'°"\'^"^  *^^"  ™a<Je  by  the  operator  over  hin 

iirao,  and  to  utter  indistinct  sounds  of  terror  A  oi„»«  ^ 
then  put  before  him,  and  a  slate-peLu  X  histnr^^^^^ 
he  wrote,  m  an  agitated  mannerf  a  broLn Sentence  i^W 
he  was  attacked  by  wild  Indians  who  were  goinlTkiSTff 
Th,s  led  the  operator  to  make  various  motion  with  v* 
hands  over  different  parts  of  his  bodv   Zuh     .  T^^.^'s 

as^p,  »d  .„ld  not  ,ee  ^X^:Z^'^ 

t.^Z  ™T^*^°  sympathy,  or  whatever  else  it  may  be 
ZTti  ^^T"  '^^  "^°'^°"^  °^  '^^  oP«'«tor  and  th^sensa! 

wZn\i      '^''P'''  ™'  '^^^^^^'^  «^id«nt  in  eve^  case 
When  the  operator  moved  his  hand  around  the  sJ^enerN; 
foot   and  another  put  the  slate  before  him  anrplacedThe 
pencil  in  his  hand,  he  wrote,  tremblingly,  the  words   «  A 
monstrous  grisly  bear  is  gnawing  off  my  foot      Oh  •  t«I,t 

i't?^'  T'  ^^"V^^-y '"  theVnciiy^p'ping^fromt: 
hand  twice  durmg  the  act  of  writiiiff      Whpn  th?  ^       f 

passed  his  hand  Lund  his  heaS'f  a  c^d^Vud  ZZl 
was  ag«n  placed  before  him.  he  w«.  .v-«  '«,"  .  'Ull.^^ 


ill 


d88 


PENN8YLVANIA4 


The  action  of  stabbing  was  made  over  the  boy's  heart, 
the  hand,  however,  not  being  suffered  to  touch  his  person ; 
and  he  struggled  violently  and  made  resistance,  and  gave 
signs  by  his  countenance  oi  excruciating  pain,  till  at  last  he 
sunk  down  into  a  state  of  apparent  torpor.  Each  of  the 
spectators  tried  in  turn  to  awaken  him  by  the  ordinary 
methods  of  pulling  and  pinching,  but  without  the  least  effect.- 
He  seemed  in  a  sleep  of  death.  At  length  the  operator 
tried  the  magnetic  mode  of  awakening  him,  by  waving  the 
hands  upward  near  the  face,  and  in  about  five  minutes  the 
boy  awoke  from  his  slumbers. 

When  he  was  quite  recovered  he  was  asked  by  the  teach- 
er, in  signs,  whether  he  had  been  dreaming,  and  he  answer- 
ed No ;  whether  he  recollected  any  writing  or  other  opera- 
tion, and  he  answered  No ;  and  when  the  slate  was  pre- 
sented to  him,  on  which  the  last  sentence  he  had  written 
still  remained,  his  whole  look  bespoke  the  utmost  astonish- 
ment. In  the  party  who  witnessed  this  exhibition  there 
were  three  physicians,  one  eminent  chymist,  three  or  four 
legal  gentlemen,  and  the  majority  of  the  whole  were  preju- 
diced i^gainst  the  system  of  animal  magnetism ;  yet  all  con- 
fessed their  surprise  at  what  they  saw,  and  their  conviction 
that  there  was  no  collusion  between  the  parties. 

The  experiments  tried  on  the  girls  were  of  a  different  na- 
ture. The  eldest  of  them  was  placed  in  a  magnetic  s!  ep 
as  she  stood  up,  and  with  a  very  slight  effort  on  the  part  of 
another  gentleman  than  the  first  operator ;  when  she  stood 
sleeping  thus,  the  same  experiments  were  tried  as  had  been 
before  used  with  the  boy,  to  ascertain  whether  she  were  in- 
sensible to  pain.  She  was  pulled,  pinched,  scratched,  and 
tortured  in  such  a  way  as,  if  her  sleep  had  been  of  the  ordi- 
nary kind,  could  not  fail  to  have  awakened  her ;  but  all  this 
made  no  more  impression  on  her  than  on  a  statue  of  marble. 

This  girl  was  neither  deal  nor  dumb,  and  was  not,  there- 
fore, one  of  the  pupils,  but  belonged  to  some  of  the  attend- 
ants on  the  establishment.  She  was  then  asked  a  variety  of 
questions,  to  all  of  which  she  answered  rationally ;  she  was 
shown  a  number  of  things,  that  is,  they  were  held  before 
her;  and  though  her  eyes  were  perfectly  closed,  and  her 
sleep  the  most  profound,  yet  she  described  the  names,  prop- 
erties, forms,  and  colours  of  the  objects  shown  as  accurately 
as  if  she  had  been  awake.  A  bandage  was  then  put  across 
her  eyes,  and  so  widely  spread  and  tightly  bound  as  to  ren- 
der it  impossible  she  should  see,  even  if  awake.  •  In  this 
state  other  objects  were  held  before  her-  and  her  descrii^ 


MAONBTIC  8UBP. 


889 


M  blfori^^"*  "»  answer  to  questions  asked  were  as  accurate 

:  The  objects  were  then  placed  above  her  head  and  behind 
n!L^  '/a^  interchanged  with  other  objects,  and  her  per- 
ception of  them  through  the  magnetic  medium,  or  whatever 
other  fajjulty  It  may  be,  was  just  as  clear  and  accurate  as 
ever ,  at  least  her  descriptions  were  as  uniformly  correct. 
»he  was  agam  pmched,  and  pulled,  and  tortured  with  pins, 
to  see  If  she  were  awake,  but  she  was  as  insensible  to  pain 
as  It  she  had  been  dead.  All  this  astonished  us  exceeding, 
ly ;  but,  though  we  could  not  comprehend  the  cause  of  what 
we  saw,  there  was  no  resisting  the  evidence  of  the  facts. 

I  he  last  experiment  was  on  the  youngest  girl  of  the  par- 
ty, aged  about  ten.     This  little  creature  was  one  of  the 
most  timid  beings  that  could  be  imagined.     It  was  difficult 
even  to  get  her  to  hold  up  her  head  so  as  to  look  the  per- 
son  addressing  her  in  the  face,  or  to  get  any  reply  to  a 
question  beyond  a  yes  or  no ;  though,  like  the  former,  she 
was  not  a  mute,  but  belonged  to  the  family  of  one  of  the 
attendants.      She  was  almost  instantaneously  put  into  a 
magnetic  sleep,  as  she  was  described  to  be  of  peculiar  sus- 
ceptibihty  to  the  magnetic  influence.     The  most  remarkable 
ettect  witnessed  in  her  case  was  a  complete  change  of  char- 
acter.    From  bemg  one  of  the  most  timid  and  hesitating, 
she  becaine  one  of  the  boldest  and  most  boisterous  little 
creatures  imaginable.     She  answered  all  questions  put  to  her 
Sharply,  and  often  retorted  wittily  on  the  questioner.     She 
then  became  herself  the  leading  person  of  the  party,  and  ar^ 
ranged  all  the  gentlemen,  one  by  one,  on  seats  roun4  the 
room,  and  instructed  them  in  a  juvenile  game  she  wished  us 
to  play,  and  laughed  and  indulged  her  merriment  exactly  as 
11  she  were  with  persons  of  her  own  age,  in  the  most  genu- 
me  playfulness.  ^ 

She  was  most  severely  pinched  and  tortured  with  pins  to 
see  It  she  felt  pain,  but  she  remained  as  insensible  to  it  as 
all  the  others,  and  no  effort  of  any.  of  the  party  to  awaken 
her  m  the  ordinary  method  succeeded.    As  soon,  however, 
as  the  operator  who  had  first  put  her  to  sleep  in  the  magnet- 
ic mode  came  to  try  his  hand  at  awakening  her,  which  he 
did  without  touching  her  peirson,  but  merely  by  waving  the 
hands  upward  gently  before  her  face,  she  awoke ;  and,  look- 
uig  round  with  a  vacant  stare,  was  so  abashed  that  she  hung 
down  her  little  head,  and  scarcely  a  word  could  be  got  from 
her  afterward,  except  to  assure  us  that,  like  the  rest,  she 
ha-vi  no  rccoliection  whatever  of  anything  that  had  passed  in 
her  sleep. 


t90 


VBNKSrLTAlfIi» 


When  the  children  were  all  removed  firora  the  room^  and 
we  began  to  interchange  observations  on  the  subject,  it  was 
clear  that  we  were  all  equally  astonished  at  what  we  had 
seen,  and  all  entirely  unable  to  offer  even  any  rational  con- 
jecture as  to  the  cause  of  it ;  not  one,  however,  among  the 
whole  party  expressed  the  least  suspicion  of  any  collusion, 
which,  L;deed,  seemed  to  me  to  be  impossible. 

These  few  facts  appeared  to  be  proved  beyond  all  doubt : 
1.  That  the  magnetic  sleep  is  entirely  different  from  the  or- 
dinary sleep.  2.  That  persons  put  to  sleep  by  the  magnetic 
process  can  only  be  awakened  by  the  same  process.  3. 
That  there  is  a  complete  suspension  of  the  susceptibility  of 
pain  during  this  singular  state,  though  all  the  other  senses 
remain  in  full  vigour.  4.  That  there  is  no  recollection,  after 
awakening,  of  what  transpired  in  the  sleep,  as  there  is  in  the 
case  of  ordinary  dreams. 

Dr.  Mitchell,  an  eminent  physician  of  the  party,  express- 
ed his  belief  that  the  single  discovery  that  the  nerves  of  the 
touch  are  different  from  the  nerves  of  pain,  and  that  the  lat- 
ter may  be  deadened  or  suspended  while  the  former  remain 
in  full  force  and  action,  would  probably  lead  to  most  bene- 
ficial results.  He  mentioned  a  case  of  a  lady  of  his  ac- 
quaintance who  had  a  decayed  tooth,  that  affected  her  with 
intense  agony,  but  which  she  had  not  the  courage  to  have 
extracted.  He  told  her  that,  if  she  would  permit  herself  to  be 
put  into  a  magnetic  sleep,  it  might  be  taken  out  without  pain. 
She  disbelieved  this,  and  refused  to  try.  Some  days  after  he 
proposed  to  put  her  into  this  sleep ;  but  she  refused,  unless  he 
would  pledge  his  honour  that  he  would  not  attempt  to  med- 
dle with  her  tooth.  He  did  so  ;  she  was  content,  and  was 
placed  in  this  condition  without  any  remarkable  occurrence. 

A  week  or  two  after  this  he  again  placed  her  in  a  mag- 
netic sleep,  but  without  any  pledge  or  engagement  being  ex- 
acted. He  then  took  the  opportunity  to  extract  the  tooth. 
The  lady  was  conscious  of  it,  and  signified  her  assent.  His 
first  effort  was  unsuccessful,  but  the  lady  felt  no  pain  :  he 
tried  again ;  the  tooth  broke  short,  and  still  no  pain  was 
felt ;  but  he  had,  by  a  severe  process,  to  extract  the  broken 
stump  from  the  gum,  which,  had  the  lady  been  awake, 
would,  he  thought,  have  been  excruciating.  She  bore  it  all, 
however,  without  shrinking,  and  declared  that  she  felt  no 
pain,  and  was  glad  the  tooth  was  out.  All  this  conversa- 
tion took  place  during  the  magnetic  sleep.  She  was  after- 
ward awakened  by  the  magnetic  process ;  and,  when  perfect- 
ly recovered,  was  surprised  and  delighted  to  find  her  torment- 


THB  NIW  ALMSHOUSE. 


801 


ing  tooth  gone,  but  declared  that  she  had  no  rp<«ii-«*' 
whatever  o  anything  that  had  P^^dincoZx^lS^'l? 
or  of  anything,  indeed,  having  Occurred  torrXr^eeD' 

hnL"*'"54^^*  '^''^  ""  ^«y  <*iff«'«nt  degrees  of  stS* 
bihty  m  different  individuals  to  this  maLptJo  infl    ^ 

young  person,  being  more  susceptiWrthTn^ndt"^^^^^^^ 
than  males;  but  ,f,  wherever  any  such  susceptibihty  e«S 
persons  about  to  be  submitted  to  painful  operations  can  be 
first  placed  m  a  state  of  insensibility  to  paiS,  and  ?hen  have 
the  operation  performed  while  in  that  condit  on, Ihe  amount 
of  suffermg  which  it  would  avert  might  justly  rank  it  am^^^^^^ 
the  greatest  and  most  beneficial  discoveries  of TteJ  ti^es  ^ 
alHh!  h^  '^'  r^'  .beautifully  situated  and  best  SrIngTd  o^ 
all  the  benevolent  mstitutions  of  Philadelphia  is  the  ^riea 
of  buildmgs  called  the  New  Ahnshouse,  fo^he  receptirn  of 


^t^tK^e  ^Sr  VT^r""^  -  the 
several  beautiful  vieSSX*»I^^^  ^^      .'''^  '*  commands 

n.aj^  .„„  „azxdfcu  acres  of  ground  surrounding  .the  iiisti- 


I 


8dS 


PBNNSTLTANIA. 


tution,  a  portion  of  which  is  laid  out  in  lawn  and  walks 
along  the  river  front,  another  portion  is  devoted  to  gardens 
for  supplying  vegetables  and  fruit,  and  the  rest  is  left  in 
meadow  or  pasture  land  for  the  cattle  of  the  establishment. 
The  principal  front  of  the  pile  faces  towards  the  east, 
looking  down  on  the  Schuylkill  River,  and  across  it  towards 
the  City  of  Philadelphia,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  this 
stream.  The  front  is  composed  of  a  centre  and  two  wings ; 
the  centre  is  ninety  feet  in  length  and  three  stories  in  height, 
and  presents  a  fine  portico  of  eight  pillars,  surmounted  by  a 
pediment  reposing  on  a  granite  basement,  the  ascent  to 
which  is  by  a  flight  of  twenty  steps,  so  that  the  whole  edifice 
possesses  a  commanding  elevation.  In  this  division  are  the 
rooms  of  the  superintendent,  physician,  steward,  and  guar- 
dians, their  offices,  with  dining-room,  kitchen,  and  two  fire- 
proof rooms.  On  the  ground-fioor  is  the  dining-room  for 
the  male  inmates  of  the  institution,  capable  of  accommo- 
dating 500  persons,  and  an  extensive  kitchen,  in  which  all 
the  culinary  operations  are  performed  by  steam. 

The  north  and  south  wings  of  this  front  are  appropriated 
to  the  use  of  the  male  paupers.  They  are  three  stories  high, 
'with  five  wards  on  a  floor,  containing  112  well-ventilated 
dormitories,  each  for  one  oed  only.  Each  ward  is  about 
40  feet  square,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  whole  is  an  open 
space  of  about  24  feet,  the  use  of  which  is  common  to  the 
inmates  of  all  the  wards.  The  number  of  wards  and  dor- 
mitories is  the  same  on  each  floor,  and  connected  with  each 
there  atk  spacious  corridors  10  feet  in  width. 

The  western  front  is  occupied  as  the  Almshouse  for  the 
women,  who  are  kept  apart  from  the  men  |  and  in  its  gen- 
eral arrangement  it  resembles  the  former.  At  the  north- 
western corner  of  the  square  is  a  building  occupied  by  the 
aged  and  blind  among  the  females,  and  here  also  is  the  ob- 
stetric ward  and  the  nursery ;  while  in  another  portion  of 
the  edifice,  in  the  upper  story  of  the  river  front,  are  apart- 
ments for  the  more  aged  and  infirm  of  the  male  paupers, 
who  are  taken  every  care  of. 

At  the  northeast  corner  of  the  square  is  the  asylum  for 
the  children,  in  which  there  are  upwa/d  of  150  of  both 
sexes.  In  addition  to  the  subsistence  afforded  to  these, 
care  is  taken  to  furnish  them  with  healthy  recreation  and 
proper  instruction.  For  this  purpose  a  large  schoolroom 
is  prepared,  and  teachers  are  employed  who  train  them  in 
good  habits  and  good  morals,  as  well  as  cultivate  their  un- 
derstandings ;  and  many  of  them  being  orphans,  they  are 


THS  MIW  AUIBHOUSI. 


883 


subsequently  placed  out  by  the  institution  into  situation. 

Ihe  north  building  is  appropriated  to  manufacturing  pur- 
poses, and  IS  called  "  The  House  of  Employment."  fn^JL 
the  inmates  are  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  woollen  and 
cotton  cloths,  grinding  flour,  and  performing  such  other 
works  of  handicraft  as  they  are  acquainted  with  or  can  be 
taught.    A  steam-engme  of  12  horse  power  propels  machin. 

h/J^'  ""T-'  P"?^'!"'  ^"^  '^^  ^^«1«  f°"»»  a  scene  of 
healthy  activity  and  industry. 

The  Hospital  occupies  another  range  of  the  buildings,  the 
eexes  being  separated  here  as  elsewhere;  and  a  sepuate 
portion  bemg  set  aside  for  the  insane,  of  whom  theie  are 
upward  of  a  hundred.  An  excellent  Dispensary,  and  an 
extensive  medical  library,  as  well  as  a  lecture-room  cape^ 
ble  of  accommodatmg  800  persons,  form  parts  of  this  estab- 
lishment;  and  adjoming  to  the  hospital  is  the  principal  gar- 
valesTents  ^g^eeable  walks  for  the  invalids  aud  con- 

In  the  centre  of  the  square  formed  by  the  buUdings  is  a 
spacious  wash-house,  with  an  elevated  steeple  and  Si  illu. 
minated  dial-clock.  There  is  also  a  store,  to  which  all  the 
articles  manufactured  at  the  institution  are  brought  in  to  de- 
posite  previous  to  their  being  issued  from  thence  to  the  re- 
spective wards  for  which  they  may  be  required. 

The  whole  cost  of  the  erection  of  this  building  exceeded 
a  million  of  dollars,  and  its  annual  expense  is  about  150,000 
dollars.  The  building  fund  and  annual  cost  are  both  raised 
by  a  municipal  tax  on  the  city  and  liberties  of  Philadelphia, 
which  amounted  to  about  one  per  cent,  on  the  assessment 
ot  real  property  for  the  former,  and  abottt  half  per  ceat. 
on  the  rentals  of  dwellings  for  the  latter.  The  number  of 
mmates  is  about  2000  in  winter  and  1500  in  summer,  in- 
cluding about  200  lunatics  and  150  children.  In  all,  the 
males  predominate  over  the  females  in  the  proportion  oi 
about  9  to  6.  The  average  cost  of  maintenance  i»  about  a 
dollar  tor  each  person  per  week. 

We  were  taken  over  the  establishment  by  the  superi». 
tendent,  and  were  permitted  to  examine  every  part  of  it  • 
and  although  our  visit  was  wholly  unexpected  and  without 
notice.  It  filled  us  with  admiration  to  see  the  cleanliness, 
order,  and  perfect  condition  of  every  department.  The 
-citchen,  with  its  steam  apparatus  and  utensils,  was  the  most 
perfect  that  could  be  imagined ;  the  floors  were  everywhere 

clean  enOHCrh    to   K«»    UaaA   aa  *«K1oc  .     ♦!,«   *:_ 1 4-- 

VOL.  I. — 3  D  ' 


894 


nNNIYLTANIA. 


■els  were  polished  like  mirrors ;  the  bed  and  table  linen  ex- 
quisitely clean ;  the  walls  white  as  snow ;  the  ventilation 
perfect ;  and,  in  short,  taking  house,  grounds,  site,  prospect, 
offices,  and  interior  arrangement  into  consideration,  it  may 
with  confidence  be  asserted  that  a  nobler  almshouse  than 
this  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  whole  world. 

The  Marine  Hospital  is  another  of  the  benevolent  institu- 
tions of  Philadelphia  well  worthy  of  a  visit  by  the  stranger. 
It  is  not  far  from  the  Almshouse  just  described,  but  is  seated 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Schuylkill,  while  the  former  is  on  the 
west.  It  has  a  finely-elevated  position,  being  50  feet  above 
high* water  mark,  which,  in  the  general  level  of  the  surround- 
ing tract,  is  sufficient  to  ensure  it  a  commanding  prospect 
and  fine  air. 

In  England  there  being  but  one  metropolis,  and  the  great 
Naval  Asylum  of  Greenwich  Hospital  being  planted  there, 
everything  belonging  to  it  is  on  a  scale  of  corresponding 
magnitude.  But  in  America,  where  every  separate  state  has 
its  own  metropolis,  institutions  of  this  description  exist  in 
every  great  seaport,  and,  consequently,  from  being  more  nu- 
merous, they  are  each  on  a  smaller  scale. 


The  Marine  Hospital  at  Philadelphia,  or  the  United  States' 
Naval  Asylum,  as  it  is  more  generally  called,  is  nevertheless 
a  building  of  considerable  size  and  ample  accommodation. 
It  stands  on  a  fine  open  piece  of  ground,  surrounded  with 
lawn,  and  presents  a  front  to  the  east  of  386  feet  in  length, 
which  includes  a  centre  building  and  two  wings.  The  cen- 
tre building  is  142  feet  in  length  by  175  in  depth.  It  has  a 
fine  Ionic  portico  of  eight  marble  columns,  surmounted  with 


MARIlfl  ROariTAL. 


896 


a  pediment ;  and  the  ascent  to  the  portico  being  by  a  flight 
of  marble  steps,  the  whole  has  an  imposing  aspect.  The 
plan  of  the  buildmg  was  designed  by  the  city  architect,  Mr. 
Strickland,  and  the  detaUs  are  said  to  be  from  an  Ionic  tern- 
pie  on  the  Ilyssus,  near  Athens. 

The  two  wings  have  a  basement  of  granite,  above  which 
are  three  stories,  all  of  fine  white  marble,  like  the  portico 
and  steps;  along  the  front  of  these  wings  run  three  veran- 
dahs,  one  to  each  story,  which  are  supported  by  88  iron  pil- 
lars resting  on  granite  piers,  with  an  iron  railing  or  breast- 
work  strikmgly  resembling  the  quarter-deck  nettings  in  a 
8hip.of.war,  but  whether  the  resemblance  was  accidental  or 
mtentional  I  could  not  learn. 

In  the  basement  of  the  centre  building  is  a  dining-room 
113  feet  long,  and  the  general  kitchen  of  the  establishment, 
with  a  furnace,  from  whence  flues  proceed  for  heating  the 
whole  bmlding.  From  this  story  the  communication  to  all 
the  upper  ones  is  by  geometrical  staircases  of  marble.  In 
the  first  floor  of  this  central  building  are,  on  the  front,  eight 
parlours  for  offices,  and  in  the  rear  a  chapel  56  feet  square, 
lighted  from  the  dome.  On  either  side  of  these  are  the  Dis- 
pensary, surgeons'  and  apothecaries'  departments,  and  baths 
In  the  third  story  are  the  sleeping-rooms  of  the  oflicers,  and 
a  separate  department  for  the  insane. 

^"  Jjlf  ?^^"88  are  the  general  dormitories,  of  which  there 
are  180  m  number,  these  capable  of  accommodating  400 
persons ;  and.  being  all  vaulted,  they  are  spacious  and  airy, 
as  well  as  substantial  and  secure. 

The  whole  edifice  is  built  of  fine  white  Pennsylvania  mar- 
ble, and  cost  250,000  dollars  in  its  erection,  the  funds  for 
which  were  furnished  by  the  General  Government.     The 
custom  of  receiving  from  all  the  seamen  of  the  Union  the 
contribution  of  twenty  cents  per  month  for  the  support  of 
such  institutions,  exists  here,  as  it  does  in  England,  where 
sixpence  per  month  hospital-money  has  been  received  from 
mercantile  seamen  for  years  past  for  a  similar  purpose. 
Ihere  is  this  essential  difference,  however,  that  the  merchant 
seamen  of  England,  who  pay  their  sixpence  per  month  to 
the  support  of  Greenwich  Hospital,  are  not  eligible  to  the 
enjoyment  of  its  advantages  when  they  grow  old  and  are 
worn  out,  as  that  establishment  receives  only  the  seamen  of 
the  royal  navy ;  whereas  in  America,  as  all  contribute,  so 
all  are  ehgible  to  enjoy  the  benefits  for  which  they  pay. 
Accordinjfly,  the  wornout  seamen  of  the  American  mer- 
chant-ship can  enter  this  asylum  as  freelv  as  the  veteran  nf 


•OT  riNNSVLViJfU. 

th«t  thfpof-war ;  <t(»d  m,  in  a  national  point  of  view,  the 
seatiie  i  who  conduct  the  .jommerce  of  u  country  are  as 
much  entitled  to  support  mnd  protection  in  their  old  age  d« 
the  Beamen  who  fight  its  batlles,  it  is  but  justice  that  b^nh 
should  be  p  ♦  on  the  same  footing,  especially  when  boia 
contribute  toH,./d8  the  same  fund. 

From  the  rear,  or  westr^n  front  of  this  asylum,  the  view  is 
^^xtensive  and  beautiful,  nbracing  the  winding  of  the 
bchuylkiil,  the  Waterworks  of  Pair  Mount,  the  Almshouse 
on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  the  State  Penitentiary, 
and  Girard  College,  while  the  moving  scenery  of  the  small- 
craft  and  boats  perpetually  passing  up  and  down  the  stream 
add  greatly  to  the  interest  of  the  scene*. 
I  Notwithstanding  this,  the  institution  is  not  so  much  resort- 
ed  to  by  sailors  as  those  of  Norfolk,  Staten  Island,  and  Bos- 
ton ;  because  on  these,  the  vicinity  of  the  ocean,  and  the 
constant  passing  to  and  fro  of  large  ships,  is  a  source  of 
pleasure  to  them  which  these  smaller  river-craft  never  can 
afford.  No  doubt  one  of  the  giceat  charms  of  Greenwich 
Hospital  to  the  British  mariner  is  the  constant  succession  of 
ships  of  every  size  and  form  that  pass  every  hour  of  the  day 
up  and  down  the  Thames  before  their  eyes,  giving  scope  for 
nautical  criticism  and  maritime  jokes  as  to  the  respective 
styles  of  handling  ships  under  weigh ;  but  the  same  class  of 
beings  who  are  perfectly  happy  on  the  ever-varying  banks 
of  the  Thames  at  Greenwich,  would  die  of  ennui  if  removed 
farther  up  the  same  stream,  though  surrounded  by  all  the 
softer  beauties  of  Twickenham  or  Richmond  Hill. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


Hiitory  and  Deicription  of  the  PannsTlvania  HMpittL  — Statift'ni  at  ffi  Patienu 
mnd  Curei.— Financial  Reiourcei  of  the  Eatabliahment.— Treai.'  -  i  ••  '  cV-Liitiaa 
of  the  Iniane.  ^^ 

Oi«:  of  the  noblest  and  most  extensively  useful  of  all  the 
benevolent  institutions  is  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  situated 
in  the  very  heart  of  Philadelphia.  To  this  I  had  the  oppor- 
*tmitv  of  making  a  long  and  interesting  visit,  devoting  an  en- 
vo  day  to  the  purpose,  and  being  accompanied  by  Mr.  Nich- 
c.  ^  i  Idlp  t  nd  Dr,  Bell,  firom  whom  and  from  the  resident 
«^'s«  -oi    .  uawers  to  every  inquiry  were  readily  obtained. 


Jy 


MNNSYt I  ANU   H08PITAI..  397 

High  08  my  admiration  had  alread,  been  of  the  nerfrrtmn 

0  wh.ch  the  arrangement  au.l  manigemer.t  o    «uch tn'    u 
tton«  as  these  is  carried  i..  America,  "was  raised  ShriK 

ho'snitT""'l'  ''"PT"'^  'f-er^part  :r:Efs"l-S 
hospital ;  and  as  its  history,  as  well  as  the  8tati«tirr  of  it- 
present  condition,  is  calculated  to  excite  the  em.^  a^^         ? 

Sfi.     °<*naen8ed  from  authentic  sources. 
,!,«  K    ^*""'y^^^"'a  Hospital  was  founded  by  a  number  of 
ie  v' ri 7."l'  K ''''"'  '^  ^Philadelphia,  and  incorpo^aJeJ  L 
"  T..I         7  K^  .''^  •*"  *'/  °^  ^^'^  Provincial  Legislature  Z 

1  »e  contributors  to  the  Pennsylvania  HospiSl-''  etUv 
contributor  of  teia  pounds  or  upward  being  a  mCb^r  of  Z 
corporation,  with  a  vote  in  its  elections,  IndeSlI  ^n  h 
appointed  to  the  management  of  its  concerns.^  ^' 

The  design  of  the  Hospital  is  general,  its  charter  nrnvi 
wh?  1  *h«  reception  of  insane  persons,  and  ?hos"  JiKd 
with  aU  other  maladies  not  infectious.     A  lyin«.in  deoa  t 
ment,  authorized  by  a  subsequent  act  of  Assemblv   for^^^hl" 
accommodation  of  poor  marriid  women  of  respSle  chlr! 
S'^ri^' n^T^'^,  °"  ^  ^«"«*'°"  ^^««^  the  first  ^^^^^^ 
Philadelphia  Cty  Cavalry,  of  money  received  by  them  for 
military  services  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.     The  ^um 

u^p^lTs^nT"^'^^^^^^^  "^^^  ^'^  '^^^'^™^"^  ^-- 
The  charter  of  this  institution  provides  that  no  oart  nf  it. 
income  shall  be  appropriated  to  any  other  purpose  tCto  the 
support  of  the  sick  and  disease^  poor,  and  pro^^d  ng"he  ne! 
cessary  buildmgs  for  their  accommodation  ;  and  tha  those 
whose  diseases  render  them  proper  objects  of  the  charitv 

;ii:ryrXet:;  ^-^ '-'  ^^  ^^--^^-^^^  ^s 
.opr{?^-srm"sr 

and  a  treasurer  to  serve  during  the  ensuing  year.  Thekw 
regulatmg  their  duty  and  trust  provides  that^they  shall  reT 

ch Jra!  T"^Sers  elect  annually  three  physicians  to  have 
charge  of  the  medical  department,  three  surgeons  to  the 
charge  of  the  surgical  department,  and  two  physicians  for 
^e  lying-m  depa.  uient,  all  of  whom  must  be  doctors  in 
medicine  and  members  of  this  corporation. 

th«  .!Io  IT^  gentlemen,  graduates  of  medicine,  reside  in 
the  hospital,  and  take  nharan  nUo,.„o*-i-  -/• ..        '   •    -      ^" 

34 


»i„  „r  *u- 


.«i-^ijr  vi  tiic  surgical  aiid 


398 


:PiiNN8TLTANIA. 


the  medical  and  obstetrical  departments,  under  the  direction 
of  the  visiting  physicians  and  surgeons.  One  of  the  resi- 
dents is  elected  annually,  to  serve  two  years.  An  apotheca- 
ry is  employed  to  prepare  and  dispense  the  medicines  pre- 
scribed by  the  physicians. 

The  physicians  and  surgeons  of  this  hospital  have  uniform- 
ly rendered  their  important  aid  gratuitously.  The  students 
of  medicine  who  attend  the  practice  of  the  hospital  physi- 
cians pay  a  fee  of  ten  dollars  each  for  the  privilege :  these 
fees,  which  in  European  hospitab  are  a  perquisite  of  their 
medical  staff,  the  professional  gentlemen  attached  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Ho^ital  have  generously  devoted  to  the  found- 
ation and  endowment  of  a  medical  library,  which  now  con- 
sists of  about  6000  volumes,  comprising  a  large  proportion 
of  the  most  valuable  ancient  and  modern  works  on  the  sci- 
ence of  medicine,  with  many  rare  treatises  on  botany,  and 
other  branches  of  natural  history.  Students  have  the  priv- 
ilege of  using  this  splendid  collection  while  attending  the 
hospital  practice  y  and  a  right  to  its  use  during  Ufe  is  granted 
for  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars. 

After  the  accommodation  of  as  many  poor  patients  as  the 
state  of  the  funds  will  justify,  the  managers  have  authority 
to  receive  pay  patients  ;  any  profit  derived  from  this  source 
being  devoted  to  increase  the  fund  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  poor.  The  rates  usually  charged  are  from  three  to  six 
dollars  per  week,  according  to  the  circumstances  of  the  pa- 
tients. 

The  nmnber  of  the  patients  to  be  received  on  the  charity 
of  the  institution  is  fixed  from  time  to  time  by  the  board  of 
managers ;  it  is  now  nominally  100 ;  but,  as  no  serious  ca- 
ses of  accidental  injury  are  ever  turned  away  from  the  hos- 
pital-gate, the  number  of  poor  patients  in  the  house  is  fre- 
quently 120. 

About  one  third  of  the  patients  on  the  poor-list  are  insane ; 
it  has  been  found  necessary  thus  to  limit  their  number,  on 
account  of  the  great  length  of  time  sv.ch  patients  have  re- 
mained, to  prevent  their  occupation  of  the  house  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  necessitous  sick  and  wounded. 

A  new  arrangement  has,  however,  been  introduced,  which, 
already  productive  of  much  good,  promisesa  to  render  this 
interesting  department  of  the  institutioa  of  fiair  greater  pub- 
lic utility  than  before. 

Experience  has-  demonstrated  that  mental  maladies  are  al- 
most unsusceptible  of  cure  except  in  their  earlier  stages  ; 


i"^ 


PBNNSTLTAMIA  HOSPITikL.  fj/f^ 

patient  from  scenes  and  persons  associated  with  the  mental 
hallucination,  and  an  early  subjection  to  a  proper  course  of 
medical  and  moral  treatment.  It  being,  therefore,  of  great 
importance  to  open  the  door  of  admission  as  widely  as  pos- 
sible to  recent  cases,  the  managers  of  the  Hospital  have 
agreed  that,  in  future,  except  under  particular  circr.mstan- 
ces,  insane  persons  shall  be  received  on  the  charity  but  for 
limited  periods,  sufficient  security  being  taken  that  they 
shall  be  removed  by  their  friends  when  the  disease  becomes 
fixed,  and  the  restoration  of  reason  is  no  longer  to  be  ex- 
pected. 

The  square  on  which  the  Hospital  stands  measures  near- 
ly four  acres.  About  seven  eighths  of  this  square  were  pur- 
chased by  the  managers  in  1754,  for  the  sum  of  £500  Penn- 
sylvania currency.  The  remaining  portion,  consisting  of 
396  feet  in  length  by  60  in  depth,  was  presented  to  the  Hos- 
pital in  the  year  1762,  by  Thomas  and  Richard,  sons  of^ 
William  Penn. 

The  open  square,  lying  in  parallel  lines  to  the  east,  to- 
gether with  several  lots  to  the  south  and  west  of  the  Hospi- 
tal, containing  in  all  about  ten  acres,  have  been  purchased 
at  various  times,  in  order  to  secure  an  ample  apace  and  free 
circulation  of  air  around  the  buildings. 

The  Hospital,  surrounded  on  the  borders  of  the  square  by 
majestic  forest-trees,  chiefly  the  occidental  plane,  the  lar- 
gest growth  of  the  North  American  forest,  planted  in  the 
year  1756,  exhibits  a  south  front  of  venerable  aspect  and 
considerable  proportions,  extending  east  and  west  281  feet. 
It  consists  of  a  centre  building,  united  by  long  wards  of 
three  stories  in  height  to  two  wings  extending  north  and 
south.     The  wings  are  surmounted  by  cupolas. 

The  centre  building  measures  64  feet  in  front  by  61  in 
depth,  and,  with  the  balustrade  surrounding  its  cupola,  is 
72  feet  in  height.  The  long  ward  to  the  east  of  the  centre 
is  81  feet  in  length  by  27  feet  in  breadth,  and  the  east  wing 
measures  27  feet  east  and  west  by  111  feet  north  and  south. 
The  western  ward  measures  81  feet  by  33,  and  the  west 
wing  28  feet  by  111. 

The  foundation-stone  of  this  edifice  was  laid  on  the  28th 
of  May,  1755.     It  bears  the  following  inscription : 

"  In  the  year  of  Christ 

MDCCLV 

George  the  Second  happily  Reigning 

(For  he  sought  the  happiness  of  his  people), 

PHIIiADELPHIA  FioUfishUlg 


400 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


m  (For  Its  inhabitants  were  public-spirited) 

This  Building,  '' 

By  the  Bounty  of  the  Government, 

And  of  many  private  persons, 

Was  piously  founded, 

For  the  Relief  of  the  Sick  and  Miserable. 

May  the  God  of  Mercies 

Bless  the  Undertaking." 

•  ^"  °"?,°^t^e  wings  of  the  building  is  exhibited  the  paint- 
mg  by  Benjamin  West,  of  Christ  healing  the  Sick  in  the 
Temple.  The  exhibition  of  this  superb  piece,  a  present 
from  that  distmguished  artist,  produces  a  revenue  to  the 
Hospital  of  about  400  dollars  per  annum,  and  the  records 
show  that  from  Its  first  opening  more  than  100,000  visiters 
have  been  admitted  to  see  it.  West,  it  is  well  known,  was 
of  a  Quaker  family;  and  the  exhibition  of  this  production 
of  his  pencil  in  the  Quaker  city  of  Philadelphia  is  agreea- 
ble  to  those  who  are  proud  of  his  fame  as  an  artist  of  suffi- 
cient  merit,  though  a  Republican,  to  become  the  favourite 
pamter  of  an  English  monarch,  George  the  Third 

.A  ^""u  ?^*"^  °i  ^"^f™  ^^""'  °^  ^««d'  bronzed  (pre- 
^nted  by  his  grandson,  John  Penn,  Esq.,  of  Stoke  Pogeis. 
Jl-ngland),  is  placed  upon  a  pedestal  of  white  marble,  m  a 
conspicuous  situation  on  the  lawn  before  the  south  front  of 
the  Hospital.  A  chair,  once  the  property  of  that  great  man, 
IS  preserved  m  the  house ;  and  a  scion  from  the  elm-tree 
Jn  ififl?  il''^  was  held  the  celebrated  treaty  with  the  Indians 
in  lb82,  has  attained  considerable  size  in  the  square  oppo- 
site  the  western  front  of  the  buUding. 


The  greenhouses,  containing  a  handsome  collection  of 
exotic  plants,  together  with  the  ornamental  lawns  in  front 


PHILADBLPUIA.  U08PITAL. 


401 


and  rear  of  the  house,  are  under  the  care  of  a  regular  jjar- 
dener.  The  attention  paid  to  neatness,  and  even  ornainlnt 
m  the  exterior  and  interior  of  the  house,  gives  to  the  whole 
an  air  of  elegance  seldom  equalled  in  establishments  of  this 
nature.  This  is  justified,  as  well  by  donations  to  a  consid! 
erable  amount  having  been  received  for  this  purpose,  as  by 
the  influence  it  is  calculated  to  exert  on  the  n^iid  and  health 
of  the  inmates  of  the  institution. 

A  carriage  and  pair  of  horses  are  kept  for  the  use  of  the 
patients,  money  for  their  purchase  and  support  having  been 
bequeathed  by  Dr.  Samuel  Cooper,  formerly  a  resident  S 
sician  m  the  Hospital.  Another  horse  is  kept  for  the  mw. 
keting  and  other  necessary  uses  of  the  establishment,  and 
twelve  cows  for  a  supply  of  milk  to  the  patients ;  thes^  de. 
w!  i  Pnncipal  part  of  their  support  from  the  adjacent 
Jots,  the  property  of  the  institution.  "' 

The  provisions  furnished  to  the  inmates  of  the  Hospital 
are  of  the  best  quahty ;  the  common  diet  is  plain  but  nC 
iritious,  and,  m  necessary  cases,  delicacies  and  wines  are 
freely  admmistered  on  their  prescription  by  the  physicians: 
It  being  a  recognised  maxim,  that,  while  nothing  may  be  ad. 
ministered  merely  to  pamper  the  appetite,  nothing  shaU  be 
spared  which  can  contribute  to  the  recovery  of  health 

Ihe  total  number  of  patients  admitted  into  the  Hospital 
from  Its  opening,  February  11,  1752,  to  the  28th  of  April, 
1838,  was  35,646,  of  whom  18,979  were  poor,  and  16  667 
pay  patients.  '^  *  ivv« 

In  addition  to  these  a  large  number  of  out  patients  have 
been  attended  by  the  Hospital  physicians,  and  supplied  with 
to^heaUr  ^^^"'*''"'^^'  ""^  "^^^"^  13,040  have  been  restored 

nnJVo^^Pf'r  ^^^'  *^^'^  have  been  187  cases  of  insanity, 
and  22  of  dehriura  tremens ;  of  the  former  of  which  38,  and 
of  the  latter  18,  have  been  cured ;  27  have  been  removed 
by  their  friends,  1  has  eloped,  17  have  died,  and  101  re- 
main in  the  Hospital  at  present. 

The  last  thirty  years  have  witnessed  much  improvement 
in  the  situation  and  treatment  of  the  unfortunate  subjects  of 
msanity  throughout  the  civilized  world,  and  the  circum- 
stances  of  the  inmates  of  this  asylum  have  certainly  shared 
in  the  general  amelioration.  Their  treatment  here  has  been 
always  characterized  by  humanity.  At  no  period  has  cruel- 
ty towards  them  been  tolerated.  The  attendant  who  is 
known  to  strike  or  otherwise  ill-treat  a  patient  is  at  once 
disc  harmed. 

VoL.°I.-— 3  E 


402 


PBNNSTLTANIA. 


The  medical  treatment  of  this  class  of  patients  varies,  of 
course,  according  to  the  symptoms  of  the  malady  and  its 
connexion  with  other  derangements  of  the  system. 

The  confined  situation  of  the  buildings,  together  with  their 
common  appropriation  to  the  purposes  of  a  general  hospital, 
unfortunately  prevents  the  adoption  of  an  efficient  system  of 
classification  and  employment,  essential  constituents  of  what 
is  commonly  termed  moral  treatment.  Employment  is  be- 
lieved to  be  beneficial  in  all  cases  except  of  acute  delirium ; 
where  cure  is  possible,  it  conduces  to  it ;  and  where  this  is 
not  even  hoped  for,  labour  ensures  sound  repose  and  a  gen- 
eral tranquillity,  which  is  rare  in  the  unemployed.  This 
being  the  belief,  founded  on  experience,  of  those  who  ad- 
minister the  affairs  of  this  institution,  it  is  acted  upon  as  far 
as  curcumstances  will  permit.  The  greater  part  of  the  fe- 
males are  employed  in  knitting,  sewing,  spinning,  and  simi- 
lar avocations.  It  has  been  found  more  difficult  to  furnish 
occupation  for  the  men ;  a  number  of  them  are,  however, 
employed,  some  in  weaving  tape  or  fringe,  preparing  carpet- 
yarn,  and  making  mattresses,  and  others  in  supplying  the 
house  with  fuel,  keeping  in  order  the  yards,  areas,  &c.  In 
short,  every  opportunity  is  taken  to  promote  employment, 
and  every  disposition  on  the  part  of  a  patient  to  occupy  him- 
self innocently  is  encouraged ;  to  this  end,  chess,  draughts, 
and  some  other  amusements  have  been  introduced,  and 
newspapers  and  books  are  furnished  to  those  who  can  enjoy 
them.  Two  musical  instruments,  a  grand  harmonicon  and 
a  pianoforte,  have  contributed  many  pleasant  hours  to  the 
female  patients ;  and  the  soothing  melody  of  the  flute  is  not 
unfrequently  heard  in  the  apartments  of  the  men. 

ThT5  diet  afforded  in  this  asylum  is  more  generous  than 
that  of  many  similar  institutions,  judging  from  the  bills  of 
fare  and  other  statements  occasionally  published.  Spiritu- 
ous liquors,  wines,  and  porter  are  only  administered  when 
prescribed  by  the  medical  attendant,  who  has  power  to  order 
these,  as  well  as  any  other  article  of  diet,  at  his  discretion. 

No  difference  is  made  in  the  diet  or  treatment  of  patients 
merely  on  account  of  their  wealth.  An  attempt  is  made  to 
class  them,  in  some  measure,  according  to  the  society  in 
which  they  have  been  accustomed  to  move,  when  the  mind 
is  susceptible  of  such  distinctions,  but  no  difference  exists 
between  the  treatment  of  those  who  pay  for  their  board  and 
those  who  are  supported  on  the  charity  of  the  institution, 
nor  is  it  thought  necessary  to  inform  their  attendants  to 
which  class  they  belong. 


NUMBER   OF   PATIENT.—PLEASrRES   OP   THE   INSANE.     403 

Out  of  120  patients,  more  than  90  usually  eat  at  table  in 
companies,  their  attendants  sitting  at  the  same  tnhLl  k  i 

diet  of  these  patients  is  not  portioned;  each  is  allowed  to 
satisfy  his  appetite.     Those  who  do  no  eat  at  tableTrP  th^ 
very  dirty,  the  violent,  and  those  placed  bv  the  nhv«    • 
upon  a  prescribed  diet.  ^  ^  ^''^  physician 

111  the  last  year,  1837,  up  to  the  28th  of  Anril    Ift^ft  *», 

l037  Th'.tr^^^^^^  '^™^"^^  into7heX'spUa?\S: 
1037,  of  which  784  were  males  and  253  were  females    and 

«oor  tT  ""'J.^'i'  ^^^  ""'''  P«y  Patients  and  655'were 
poor.  These  added  to  the  number  that  remained  in  thp 
Hospital  at  the  close  of  the  preceding  year  madr  4ft? 
lllTr^""  759  poor;  of  which  3"9'bT;hTtLt  ^^J 
SI  102  ootnL'T  ^^-^"g«d.  ^'h-fly  cured,  anT/s  ^ay 
OfiL^^m'F'T'  'T«^"«d  in  the  institution.  ^^ 

Of  the  1037  patients  thus  received  in  the  past  year  -572 
were  natives  of  the  United  States,  and  411  weJe  n^tfv^^  If 

f?om  w7""'  f  ^""T  ^"^^^"^'  «^ght  from  Sand  three 
from  Wales,  and  no  less  than  344  from  Ireland,  so  We  1« 
the  proportion  which  the  emigrant  labourers  from  that  J 
happy  country  furnish  to  the  charitable  as  well,  rfoltuLtl" 
ly,  as  to  the  criminal  institutions  of  the  United  £es  it 
cm-  conversation  with  the  insane,  of  which  we  saw  th^ 

was  afraid  it  would  be  thought  immodest  to  accept  him  a 
once  ;  and  this  was  the  poison  of  her  existence.     One  onho 
happiest  was  a  French  captain  in  the  army,  wio  consiSered 
himself  a  field-marshal,  and  who  talked  with  a  de^ee  of  vi 
vacity  and  volubility  such  as  I  had  never  heard  beffre     The 
new  asylum  building  for  the  lunatics  at  Brockley,   or^;  Jies 

.TliefaLTS  triJ^s^itr  --'-'  ''  themfindT^t: 


4M 


rXNNSTLVANU. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

The  Seaman's  Friend  Society.— The  Magdalen  Society.— Contrast  of  Europe  and 
America.— Indigent  Widow's  and  Single  Women's  Society.— The  Philadelphia  Or- 
phan  Society.- Hospital  for  the  Blind  and  Lame.— Union  Benevolent  A»«)ciatlon  — 
Society  for  Promotmg  Christianity  in  China.— Proposed  new  Order  of  Missionaries 
—Testimony  of  Ellis's  Polynesian  Researches.- Letter  of  the  Missionaries  of  Sand^ 
wichulands.— Labours  of  Mr.  GutzlaflFin  China.— Reference  to  my  Proposed  Voyage 
round  the  Globe.— Theory  of  the  new  Order  of  Missionaries.— Healing  the  Sick  and 
Preaching  the  Gospel.— Success  hitherto  attending  this  Union.— Foundation  of  an 
Opthalmic  Hospital  in  China.— Testimony  of  the  Chinese  who  had  been  Cured.— 
Formation  of  a  general  Dispensary  in  China.— Suggestion  of  a  Medical  Missionary 
Society.— Certain  Benefits  of  such  an  Institution. 

Besides  the  larger  and  more  prominently  useful  of  the 
benevolent  institutions  of  Philadelphia  already  described, 
there  are  many  smaller  ones,  all  conceived  in  the  same  phil- 
anthropic spirit,  and  all  productive  of  great  good  in  their 
several  spheres;  a  short  account  of  which  is  due  to  the 
character  of  the  community  by  which  they  are  supported. 

One  of  these  is  the  "  Seaman's  Friend  Society,"  which 
was  formed  in  the  year  1829,  with  a  view  to  rescue,  if  possi- 
ble, tJie  hundreds  of  thoughtless  mariners  from  the  tempta- 
tions by  which  they  are  surrounded,  and  before  which  so 
many  of  them  daily  fall.     It  has  been  well  observed  by  the 
founder  of  this  truly  useful  and  praiseworthy  institution,  that 
the  greater  number  of  seamen's  lives  are  passed  in  the  nar- 
row, rude,  contaminating  society  of  the  isolated  vessel ;  and 
their  visits  ashore,  few  and  far  between,  are  only  distin- 
guished as  the  opportunities  for  squandering  their  hard-earn- 
ed wages  in  scenes  of  guilt  and  wretchedness,     Privations 
and  hardships,  inclement  skies,  wintry  stormsj  battle,  mur- 
der, sudden  death,  and  all  the  perilous  incidents  of  their 
occupation,  are  fast  sweeping  them  to  eternity.     If  help- 
lessness and  need  may  then  touch  the  sympathies  of  the 
heart,  and  impose  a  measure  of  duty  according  to  the  power 
to  relieve,  none  of  our  fellow-men  would  seem  to  press  more 
urgent  claims  upon  prompt  and  efficient  aid  than  those  who 
"  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships."     They  are  not  only  exposed 
to  the  arts  of  the  unprincipled,  and  to  every  evil  influence 
from  the  licentious,  but  the  general  system  of  sailor  board- 
ing-houses is  a  mere  lure  to  excess,  deriving  its  chief  gain 
from  pandering  to  their  vices.     Under  the  power  of  such 
temptation  they  are  easily  subdued,  their  aversion  to  moral 
enjoyments  is  deepened,  and  capacity  for  reflection  and  in- 


seaman's  friend  society. 


40S 


Btruction  destroyed ;  and,  after  a  short  period  of  feverish 
excitement  and  bewildering  sensualities,  plundered  of  everv 
dollar  and  in  debt,  they  are  shipped  off  only  to  procure 
new  means  to  ensure  a  repetition  of  the  same  arts  of  ruin  at 
the  next  port  they  reach. 

The  only  remedy  for  this  evil  was,  of  course,  to  provide 
other  boarding-houses  than  those  formerly  frequented  bv 
them,  where  the  seamen  might  have  all  the  comforts,  and 
much  more  of  the  economy,  but  none  of  the  vices  and  temp, 
tations  of  their  old  haunts.  Such  an  establishment  was  ac- 
cordingly  formed  in  Front-street,  near  the  Delaware,  in  the 
quarter  where  ships  and  seamen  most  abound,  and  placed 
under  the  direction  of  a  discreet  and  excellent  manager, 
Captain  Abels,  where  every  attention  was  paid  to  their  ?eai 
wants,  but  where  no  intoxicating  drinks  (the  cause  of  all  a 
sailor  s  extravagances  and  miseries)  were  permitted  to  be 
used  or  seen. 

The  superintendent  of  the  establishment  affords  also  every 
tacihty  to  the  study  of  navigation  ;  and  it  has  been  pleasing 
to  remark  that,  as  seamen  became  weaned  from  coarse  grat- 
ifacations,  they  have  applied  themselves  studiously  to  under- 
stand  the  science  of  their  own  calling.  There  is  a  reading- 
room,  furnished  with  journals,  civil,  literary,  and  rehgious, 
maps  and  charts,  and  a  small  library  of  useful  books :  be! 
sides  a  registry,  stating  the  names  of  vessels  sailing,  ports 
of  destination,  names  of  seamen  shipped,  also  the  names  of 
aU  applicants  for  shipping  employment;  and  a  religious 
meeting  is  held  one  evening  of  every  week,  conducted  by 
the  stated  preacher  of  the  Mariner's  Church.  This  meet- 
mg  IS  well  attended,  and  is  highly  interesting. 

The  superintendent  states  that,  since  the  house  has  been 
under  his  care,  there  have  been  234  boarders,  averaging  ten 
per  week,  of  whom  two  thirds  have  been  seamen  ;  195  have 
been  shipped  in  vessels  for  the  most  part  under  temperance 
regimen;  four  have  studied  navigation;  six  from  common 
sailors  have  become  officers;  five  have  respectably  settled 
themselves  m  domestic  life;  three  have  joined  the  Church 
and  several  had  been  seriously  impressed,  showing  the  hap-' 
py  influences  of  their  new  circumstances. 

These  are  fruits  that  may  well  satisfy  the  expectations  of     • 
those  who  were  the  first  to  plant  the  tree  that  has  yielded 
them,  and  make  glad  the  hearts  of  those  who  are  enabled  to 
repose  under  its  shade. 

The  Magdalen  Society  of  Philadelphia  is  another  benev- 
olent institulion  deserving  of  all  praise.     There  is  nothing, 


IM 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


perhaps,  that  strikes  the  English  traveller  who  visits  Amer- 
ica  more  than  the  contrast  which  the  streets  of  its  principal 
cities  present,  with  those  of  similar  towns  in  England,  in  the 
absence  of  unfortunate  and  depraved  females.  In  London, 
it  is  impossible  to  pass  on  foot  through  any  great  thorough- 
fare, even  by  day,  without  being  gazed  at  and  accosted  in 
the  most  unequivocal  manner  by  numbers  who,  from  their 
style  of  dress,  walk,  air,  and  manner,  as  well  as  by  gestures, 
and  even  words,  leave  no  doubt  on  the  mind  of  the  passen- 
ger as  to  their  habits  and  character.  In  Edinburgh,  Dub- 
lin, Glasgow,  Liverpool,  Manchester,  and  other  large  towns, 
not  to  speak  of  seaports,  such  as  Plymouth,  Portsiaouth, 
Bristol,  and  others,  they  abound;  and  after  sunset,  the 
throng  that  appears  abroad  in  the  streets  is  innumerable. 
In  the  cities  of  New- York,  Baltimore,  and  Philadelphia  (the 
only  large  places  I  have  yet  visited),  I  saw  nothing  during 
the  day,  in  any  of  their  great  thoroughfares,  to  offend  the 
eye  or  the  ear  r*\  this  particular ;  and  at  night,  the  number 
who,  from  beiu^  unattended  by  gentlemen,  may  be  supposed 
to  be  women  of  unchaste  character,  is  not  a  twentieth  part 
of  that  with  which  the  thoroughfares  of  our  English  towns 
are  crowded ;  and  even  these  behave  with  a  decorum  and 
propriety  that  is  unaccompanied  by  any  overt  act  of  ap- 
proach towards  the  male  passengers,  who  are  not  com- 
monly accosted  or  annoyed  by  them  in  any  way. 

Notwithstanding  this  superiority,  however,  of  the  great 
American  cities  over  the  British,  there  are  no  doubt  some 
such  women  of  loose  character,  a  large  proportion  of  whom, 
it  is  believed,  come  originally  frcNm  Europe,  and  but  few, 
comparatively,  are  native  Americans.  In  Philadelphia, 
though  containing  a  population  of  200,000  persons,  there 
are  fewer,  it  is  supposed,  than  in  many  English  towns  of 
10,000  inhabitants ;  but,  few  as  they  are,  an  institution  ex- 
ists, chiefly  under  the  management  of  Quaker  ladies,  for  re- 
claiming such  as  can  be  persuaded  to  quit  a  vicious  and 
adopt  a  virtuous  course  of  life. 

Since  the  commencement  of  the  society's  labours,  466  fe- 
males have  been  provided  for,  and  invited  to  a  reformed 
life  ;  and  besides  the  sixteen  females  now  under  their  care, 
170  have  either  been  restored  to  their  friends,  or  otherwise 
enabled  to  return  to  honest  occupations  in  life ;  many  of 
whom  can  now  be  named  as  respectable  wives  and  affec- 
tionate and  industrious  mothers,  or  in  various  other  modes 
adorning  their  professions  of  reform  by  exemplary  lives. 

The  females  received  into  this  asylum  are  instructed  in 


CHABITABLS   SOCIETIES. 


407 


labour,  and  great  attention  is  paid  also  to  impress  them  with 
accurate  notions  of  their  moral  and  religious  duties,  and 
With  habits  of  sober  life ;  though  almost  every  report  of  the 
society  attributes  the  first  breach  of  their  chastity  in  most 
instances,  and  the  perpetuation  of  their  vicious  course  in  al- 
most all,  to  the  profuse  use  of  spirituous  liquors,  so  universal 
IS  the  agency  of  this  poison  in  producing  crime  and  wretch^ 
edness  in  every  form. 

Another  excellent  institution  is  the  "  Indigent  Widows' 
and  Single  Women's  Society  of  Philadelphia,"  managed 
and  supported  almost  wholly  by  ladies.  It  has  now  been 
established  twenty-one  years,  and  during  that  time  has  af- 
forded  support  and  aid  of  the  most  important  kind  to  the 
two  classes  .of  persons  named  in  its  title :  the  last  report  fo» 
1837  contams  the  following  paragraph  : 

"The  managers  have  the  satisfaction  of  informing  the  patrons  of  the 
instituuon  that  the  present  condition  of  the  family  is  quiet  and  com- 
fortable. By  the  unwearying  assiduity  and  kindness  of  our  excellent 
matron,  the  inmates,  aged  and  infirm  as  they  are,  retain  a  peaceful  se. 
renity,  more  even  than  is  usual  in  the  advanced  stage  of  life  to  which  thev 
have  generally  arrived.  The  household  comprises  fifty-six  members, 
ail  of  whom,  it  is  believed,  are  now  united  in  harmony  and  contentment 
among  themselves,  and  in  gratitude  to  their  benefactora." 

The  "  Philadelphia  Orphan  Society"  is  another  of  the  in- 
stitutions managed  wholly  by  ladies.  In  this,  destitute  or- 
phans are  provided  with  food,  raiment,  and  instruction  in 
some  useful  art  or  trade,  accompanied  with  a  plain  education, 
by  which  they  are  qualified  to  obtain  an  honest  livelihood 
by  their  own  labours ;  and  every  year,  inmates  thus  trained 
are  placed  out  in  advantageous  situations.  The  income  and 
expenditure  of  these  two  institutions  are  about  6000  dollars 
each  annually,  and  this  sum  is  raised  entirely  by  voluntary 
contributions.  ^ 

The  "  Philadelphia  Society  for  the  Establishment  and 
Support  of  Charity  Schools"  is  under  the  direction  of  gen- 
tlemen.    Its  object  is  to  furnish  education  gratuitously  to 
the  children  of  those  who  cannot  even  afford  the  small  week- 
ly sum  necessary  to  find  admittance  into  the  common  schools 
of  the  state.     The  number  educated  in  this  manner  is  not 
great,  not  more,  perhaps,  than  500  in  all,  education  being 
so  cheap  at  the  common  schools  as  to  bring  it  within  the 
reach  of  aknost  every  one.    But  even  the  few  that  are  ex- 
eluded  for  want  of  means  to  pay  the  small  weekly  amount 
required  are  by  this  institution  rescued  from  ignorance  and 
vice,  and  its  contribution  to  the  general  good  is  therefore  val- 


PBNNSYLVANIA. 

Besides  an  Opthalmic  Hospital  near  the  Institution  for  the 
Blind,  and  several  new  buildings  connected  with  benevolent 
objects  rising  up  in  the  same  quarter  of  the  city,  there  is  one 
that  deserves  especial  mention,  namely,  the  "  Wills'  Hospi- 
tal for  the  Indigent  Blind  and  Lame."  This  institution  was 
founded  by  the  splendid  bequest  of  a  citizen  of  Philadelphia 
named  James  Wills,  who  gave  108,000  dollars,  since  in- 
creased by  interest  to  122,000,  for  the  purpose  of  building 
and  endowing  it :  and  after  expending  57,000  dollars  in  the 
purchase  of  the  ground,  and  erecting  and  furnishing  the 
building,  there  remain  65,000  dollars   avested  for  its  income. 

One  of  the  most  interesting,  because  most  extensively 
useful,  of  all  these  excellent  institutions,  is,  perhaps,  '<  The 
Union  Benevolent  Association,"  which  has  taken  up  a  sort 
of  missionary  labour  among  the  poor  and  destitute,  who 
could  not  be  otherwise  reached  except  through  the  ag,  icy 
of  personal  visits  in  their  own  abodes.  Such  laboui  c  aa 
these  are  eminently  beneficial,  where  the  i.ifluence  of  la^-ger 
and  less  active  institutions  would  never  be  felt  at  all ;  and) 
therefore,  in  the  hope  of  exciting  emulation  and  imitation  in 
other  towns,  I  think  it  desirable  to  transcribe  the  few  follow- 
ing passages  from  its  last  report : 

"The  ultimate  object  of  the  association  is  to  elevate  and  better  the 
condition  of  the  poor,  by  inculcating  the  principlr<5  of  an  efficient  mo- 
rahty,  and  caUing  forth,  or  cherishing  in  their  nsi  k'i,  a  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence and  self-estimation,  which  will  produce  habits  of  thoughtful- 
ness  and  reliance  on  their  own  resources. 

"  This  transformation  of  character  we  propose  to  effect  by  the  simple 
agency  of  plain  instruction  and  cheering  counsel,  conveyed  through  the 
abodes  of  the  destitute  by  the  familiar  visitation  of  those  more  elevated 
m  life,  who,  rendering  themselves  acquainted  with  their  habits  of  domes- 
tic economy,  may,  at  the  same  time  that  they  point  out  the  causes  of 
existing  depression,  strive  to  teach  the  means  whereby  the  greatest 
number  of  comforts  may  be  obtained  at  the  least  possible  cost. 

"  As  auxiliaries  in  promoting  so  desirable  an  end,  our  design  embra- 
ces  the  encouragement  or  new  modes  of  industrious  occupation,  the  col- 
lecting and  communicating  to  the  labourer  a  knowledge  of  situationis 
where  he  may  procure  work,  and  the  wages  which  his  exertions  will 
command ;  affording  him,  through  the  medium  of  tracts,  facilities  for 
obtaining  information  on  practical  subjects  ;  instructing  his  wife  in  the 
most  advantageous  employment  of  her  needle,  the  most  frugal  manner 
for  providing  for  her  tamily,  and  impressing  upon  her  the  value  of  thrift 
and  economy  m  conducting  all  her  household  affairs  ;  urging  upon  those 
who  may  require  it  the  necessity  of  giving  their  children  suitable  edu- 
cation, and  undertaking  to  place  them  in  schools  where  they  may  obtain 
It,  or  to  find  situations  for  those  who  can  be  spared  from  home ;  and 
inducing  all  to  lay  by,  as  a  resource  for  the  future,  such  portions  of  their 
weekly  or  monthly  income  as  they  can  spare,  instead  of  spending  it  in 
dissipation  or  personal  gratification." 

The  eflfects  produced  by  the  labours  of  this  institution 


■BNBTOLENT  AflSOCUTION. 


4W 


feSd  ifom  1  ilcoSence  oTrhf"™"'^   "'"  '"•^ividua^Jhav^  been 

.fff!Tu^^i'^^^'°''  ^."'^  machinery  by  which  the  association 

lU.  ?1  '*'"/"*'*''  *^"«  *^^"i"g  themselves  of  all'^the 

advantages  of  local  experience  and  division  of  labour ;  and    ' 
t«f  *^«  language  in  which  the  directors  speak  of  this  ar- 

tinn?L*f'^'"'^  i?  '^^^  ^'«'*«'"  a  small  section,  within  which  the  att#.iu 
ffh  hv  h*^"'."  'T'^'"''  *^«  beneficial  influence  of  locamy  is  sS)^  felt 
wihi„%^'The?ormeThvh  ''''"•°"  ^^  aUoUed,  and  thosr^hT^^elSS 
rcter  of  the  fieM  in  w^i  /.^^^''?  u'"«^  ^"""'l"  *''*»  ^^e  extent  and  char- 
ly  to  prose^ml  thh^^™.r '•'  ^S'?*'"'' ''  *°  '^  performed,  are  more  like- 
esM^iaSv^a  fhpTnLI^^^'i"*'^  improvement  as  it  manifestly  requires. 
DuEent  whit^h^^n  J^*'"'*  ^"^^y  *^*y'«  »°"  accelerates  fts  acconS 
Pm^S!!  I'kT    '®  ''•®  ''°"^"''  intercourse  which  is  gradually  established 
if  Si  wfth  w^hnm^hfJ*  ^''^'^^  "^  affectionate  interest  in  fhe  concerns 
fiL  i„«     !lu  "°™  ^h^^.  ^'^  ^bus  personally  associated.    On  the  oart  of 
?„H  »«'.^*''^  visited    it  is  found  that  repeated,  kindly-offered  nstSon 
soon  o^^Tf  'P*'*^''^  counteract  any  distant  or  unsocial  fSTaSd. 
3A^    *  ^""^^  communication  of  circumstances  and  wants,  which 
jStly  proffS"''*  ""''"°^"  ""'  ''"'^  ^•'^^^  ^"«^°^«»*  attention7f«- 
"  Example  soon  lends  its  aid  in  inspiring  confidence.    One  familv  in- 
forms its  neighbour  of  disinterested  services  rendered  or  benefits  con- 
ferred,  and  hese  are  led  to  seek  counsel  and  instruction  from  the  samj 

?Son""  '^  °^  ^^"^  "'^"''^'^ ''  ^^""'^ '°  pervad™the  wh™te 

35 


s 


I 


i|l6  MNNBYLVANIA. 

Of  the  powerful  agency  of  the  demon  "  strong  drink"  in 
producing  the  wretchedness  which  this  benevolent  associa* 
tion  aeei(H  to  relieve,  the  following  is  the  teutimony  given : 

"  In  reverting  to  the  causes  of  impoverishment  as  discoverable  by 
the  visiters,  it  is  found  that  intemperance,  either  as  a  remote  or  imme- 
diate agent,  is  the  most  general,  the  most  overwhelming  in  itn  effects, 
and  the  most  difficult  to  eradicate.  Idleness,  and  the  hope  of  support 
from  public  charity,  lower  the  moral  condition  of  those  who  indulge 
them,  and  create  habits  of  dependance  every  way  injurious ;  but  wo 
may  encounter  these  with  much  greater  prospect  of  success  crowning 
our  efforts  to  revive  the  long-dormant  spirit  of  independence  and  feel- 
ing of  moral  obligation,  than  where  we  have  to  contend  with  a  vice 
which,  while  it  destroys  the  power  for  making  exertion,  at  the  same 
time  deadens  every  feeling  of  shame,  and  renders  its  victim  equally  in- 
sensible to  his  own  and  his  family's  welfare.  We  are  happy  to  note,  in 
the  several  reports,  many  instances  narrated  in  which  the  elevating 
rinciple  that  influences  the  operations  of  the  society  has  been  evinced 
_y  a  reformation  in  both  morals  and  manners ;  where  the  pauper  has 
been  reclaimed  from  habits  of  indolence,  improvidence,  ana  vice,  and 
an  opportunity  afforded  him  to  become  a  respectable  and  useful  member 
of  society." 

Another  very  interesting  institution,  partly  religious  and 
partly  benevolent,  at  the  anniversary  of  which  I  assisted 
while  in  Philadelphia,  is  the  "  Society  for  promoting  the 
BifTusion  of  Christian  Knowledge  in  China."  The  mode  m 
which  this  is  effected,  and  that  which  gives  it  a  benevolent 
as  well  as  religious  character,  is  this :  that  it  first  establishes 
hospitals  and  dispensaries  for  the  sick,  or  furnishes  funds  to 
such  as  are  already  established ;  and  then,  having  won  the 
gratitude  of  individuals  by  conferring  on  them  the  greatest 
of  all  temporal  benefits,  restoration  to  health,  its  agents  find 
them  more  ready  to  listen  to  their  discourses  on  spiritual 
things,  and  thus  approach  their  understandings  through  their 
hearts,  a  procedure  which  has  been  eminently  successful. 

On  the  subject  of  uniting  the  labour  of  healing  the  sick 
with  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel,  a  highly  interesting  lit- 
tle volume  was  sent  to  me  by  its  author,  which  I  read  with 
unusual  satisfaction,  partly  because  the  same  general  idea 
which  forms  the  basis  of  his  excellent  work  had  occurred  to 
myself  many  years  ago,  and  was  expressed  in  the  volume 
of  my  "  Travels  in  Mesopotamia,"  written  in  the  year  1816 ; 
and  still  more,  because  of  the  complete  manner  in  which  the 
author  has  established  his  main  position,  and  illustrated  it 
by  evidences  of  the  most  convincing  nature.  The  work  is 
entitled  "  Thoughts  on  the  importance  of  raising  up  a  New 
Order  of  Missionaries,"  and  the  motto,  from  the  Evangelist 
St.  Luke,  is  this :  "  And  he  sent  them  to  preach  the  king- 
dom of  God,  and  to  heal  the  sick." 


INSTRUCTION    ^r  THE    IIBATHEN.  4|| 

through  the  '^^i^^sioToC^^^^^^^^ 

1- one  from  a  distinguished  member  of  the  mSnafy  budv 
Mr.  Ell«,   .vho   .n  his  Polynesian  Researches,  has  ^he  fol' 
Wmg  remarkable  passage  :  -  If,  i„  addition    o  the  mean; 
already  wi  existence,  there  were  also  an  institution  f^rfh! 
promotion  of  agriculture,  mechanic  aUs,  Ind  sodal  o  dcr 
and  the  general  civilization  of  rude  and  barbarous  tr  bes' 
Tee  \nd%f^T"'^  ''''''  ""  P°"«'^"^  «"d  beneSi  i: 
thoTe  e^"gag:d"''l;  ""  '"^^'^^"^  ^«^"^^  '"  -"J"-^-  -!th 
Messrs.  Thurston  and  Bishop,  of  the  Sandwich  Islands 
Mission,  say    in  a  letter  on  the   same  subject    "We  S 
cherish  the  hope  of  doing  something,  ere  lonK  bv  wav  of 
instructing  this  people  in  the  art  of  making  cbth^    aYw 
wheels,  and  other  apparatus  for  carding,  spinninir  and  wea^ 
ing,  would  be  sufficient  for   trying  tt  ^ex^r^entCrJ 

IdH '»  ^P'"°"  ''^^y  ""^  ^^'^  ^°  >"«»'»«*  them :"  andThe^ 
add,  We  most  earnestly  invite  the  friends  of  civiSzation 
to  consider  this  subject."  And  Mr.  Gutzlaff,  the  clehTed 
Chinese  missionary,  says  of  the  people  among  whom  he  has 
been  labounng,  "It  is  very  desirable  to  let  the  people  feel 
the  edge  of  our  scientific  superiority ;  I  have,  therefore   be 

to  oi^bStr'''"  f  "  r"*''y  ^^'"'-  periodiXnd  'wth 
to  publish  several  works  on  science  separately  " 

The  author  shows  that  the  best  first  step  in  this  pioneer 

service  for  Christianity  would  be  that  of  healing  the  s"ck 

and  the  rest  might  appropriP .ely  follow.     He  justifies   hi^ 

«no'?r  ^^  '^/r^Y'  °^  ^ ''''''  «°d  by  his  command  to  the 
apostles  and  disciples :  -  And  as  ye  go,  preach,  saying.  The 
kmgdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand;  heal  the  sick  cleaife  the 
epers."  And  again,  "Into  whatsover  city  ye  enter  and 
they  receive  you,  eat  such  things  as  are  set  before  you ;  aS3 
Ant  '^;''f'^^'  "« therein,  and  say  unto  them,  The  king- 
dom  of  God  is  come  nigh  unto  you  "  ^ 

The  excellence  of  the  theory,  if  one  may  so  call  it,  must 
strike  every  one  ;  but  coming  supported,  as  it  does  by  fi 

dlt' th7^'  l"^  ""^*^°"^y'  ''  ''  ^"^«^«»^ble.  Ther'^TsTo 
doubt  that,  while  a  mere  missionary  preacher  might  be 
many  months  in  a  heathen  land  before  he  would  b?fble  to 
draw  around  him  a  congregation  at  all,  and  many  year    bl! 

fX  Tl"*  ^^  ^^l^  *^  P°««^««  ™"«h  influence  over  his 
followers-the  prejudices  of  the  people,  their  deep  igno^ 

*   VaI      ii        r»     OOA 


418 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


ranee  and  fearful  superstitions,  the  hostility  of  the  priests, 
and  the  jealousy  of  the  governments,  all  forming  almost  in- 
surmountable obstacles — a  missionary  surgeon  or  physician 
who,  before  he  opened  his  lips  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
could  give  sight  to  the  blind,  hearing  to  the  deaf,  strength  to 
the  weak,  and  life,  health,  and  vigour  to  those  whom  he 
might  rescue  from  the  brink  of  the  grave,  would  form  by 
this  means  such  connexions  with  his  patients,  and  open  so 
ready  an  avenue  to  their  hearts,  that  his  subsequent  com- 
munications to  them,  on  the  subject  of  spiritual  things,  would 
be  heard  with  grateful  attention.  And  if  to  his  healing  of 
diseases  were  still  farther  added  the  establishment  of  schools 
and  workshops,  in  which  the  elements  of  knowledge  could 
be  taught  in  connexion  with  agriculture,  weaving,  building, 
and  what  may  be  called  the  domestic  arts,  accompanied  by 
presents  of  new  seeds,  new  plants,  new  animals,  with  tools, 
models,  and  implements  of  unquestionable  utility,  the  effect 
produced  in  the  community  receiving  them  would  be  of  the 
most  beneficial  kind. 

This  is  so  perfectly  in  accordance  with  my  own  views, 
frequently  and  publicly  expressed,  and  once  imbodied  into 
a  plan  for  a  "Voyage  round  the  Globe,"  for  the  purpose  of 
uniting  these  objects  of  philanthropy  with  the  more  usual 
ends  of  discovery  and  commerce,  that  I  may  be  permitted 
to  refer  the  reader  to  the  Appendix  for  the  prospectus  of 
the  voyage  alluded  to,  with  an  account  of  the  obstacles  that 
prevented  its  being  carried  into  execution.* 

Such  would  be  the  conclusion  to  which  any  unprejudiced 
mind  would  come,  upon  the  mere  statement  of  the  theory 
alone ;  but,  happily,  the  practice — for,  to  a  certain  limited 
extent,  to  practice  it  has  been  reduced — bears  out  the  sound- 
ness of  the  theory,  and  leaves  no  doubt  of  its  universal  ap- 
plicability. Mr.  Gutzlaff 's  Journal  of  his  Mission  among 
the  Chinese  is  full  of  examples,  so  full  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  give  a  tenth  of  them  in  any  moderate  space :  let 
one  or  two  suffice.  He  says,  "  At  Yangling  I  am  well 
known;  and  the  sick  people  range  themselves  along  the 
streets  as  soon  as  the  news  of  my  arrival  is  given.  Every 
one  has  his  tale,  his  kind  word  and  salutation."  "  While 
standing  under  a  tree,  I  commenced  my  medical  operations. 
Many  an  individual  was  profuse  in  his  gratitude  ;  and  some 
offered  presents,  which  I  refused  to  accept."  "  In  visiting 
village  by  village,  hamlet  by  hamlet,  I  met  with  the  most  af- 
fectionate reception.     There  was  not  a  hovel  where  we 

*  See  ADDcndix.  No.  VIII. 


CHINESK  OBATITVDE. 


413 


we 


were  not  invited  to  stay  over  breakfast  and  partake  of  their 
homely  fare."     "  At  Teen-tsin,  my  skill  as  a  physician  was 
soon  put  m  requisition,  and,  while  passing  the  junk  on  my 
way  to  the  shore,  I  was  hailed  by  a  number  of  voices  as  the 
seen-sang;  <  teacher'  or  <  doctor,'  and,  on  looking  around  me, 
I  saw  many  smiling  faces,  and  numerous  hands  stretched 
out  to  mvite  me  to  sit  down.     These  people  proved  to  be 
8ome  of  my  old  friends,  who  a  long  time  before  had  receiv- 
ed  medicines,  and  books,  for  which  they  still  seemed  very 
grateful."     Again,  "  My  patients  had  now  become  so  nu- 
merous as  to  engross  my  whole  attention  ;  from  very  early 
in  the  morning  till  late  at  night,  I  was  constantly  beset  by 
them,  and  often  severely  tried.     Yet  I  had  frequent  oppor- 
tunities of  making  known  to  them  the  doctrines  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  of  pointing  out  the  way  of  eternal  life." 

These  are  the  testimonies  of  Mr.  GutzlaflF,  and  they  might 
have  been  multiplied  twenty-fold,  but  ♦hey  are  enough  to 
show  how  great  was  the  advantage  whicn  ne  possessed  as  a 
religious  teacher,  from  being  a  healer  of  diseases  also ;  and 
no  man  who  has  travelled  much  in  Asia  or  Africa  can  fail 
to  recall  to  his  recollection  a  hundred  instances  at  least,  m 
which,  if  he  possessed  any  knowledge  of  the  healing  art,  he 
was  enabled  to  win  the  confidence  and  excite  the  gratitude 
of  the  most  bigoted,  simply  because  he  relieved  their  suffer- 
ings, and  thus  subdued  their  prejudices  and  enmities,  and 
substituted  in  their  place  veneration  and  esteem. 

Acting  on  this  principle,  a  gentleman  belonging  to  the 
East  India  Company's  medical  establishment  in  China,  and 
whose  name  will  be  honoured  while  he  lives  and  revered 
when  he  is  dead,  Mr.  T.  R.  CoUedge,  formed  at  Canton  an 
opthalraic  hospital,  which  is  now  in  full  vigour,  But  the 
account  of  its  origin  and  progress  is  so  encouraging,  in  the 
example  it  affords  of  what  even  one  benevolent  individual 
may  accomplish,  it  is  so  honourable  to  that  individual,  and 
will  be  so  gratifying  to  all  the  friends  of  humanity  through- 
out the  globe,  that  I  cannot  resist  the  desire  of  transcribing 
It  in  his  Own  words.     It  is  as  follows : 

"  Having,  during  the  last  three  years,  received  from  Mr.  Vachell,  chap- 
lain  to  the  British  factory  in  China,  the  amount  of  offerings  at  the  com- 
munion-table, it  seems  incumbent  on  me  to  state  the  origin  and  nature 
of  the  institution  to  which  this  money  has  been  applied,  and  the  claim 
it  has  on  the  good-will  and  assistance  of  all  persons  anxious  to  allevi- 
ate  the  pressure  of  bodily  infirmity,  to  which  we  are  all  liable,  more  es- 
pecially in  a  country  possessing  few,  if  an5%  of  those  charitable  institu- 
tions  which  grace  so  much  our  own  civilized  and  Christian  land. 

•'In  the  year  1837,  on  joining  the  East  India  Company's  establish- 


414 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


ment,  I  determined  to  devote  a  large  portion  of  my  time,  and  such  med- 
ical skill  as  education  and  much  attention  to  the  duties  of  my  profession 
had  made  my  own,  to  the  cure  of  so  many  poor  Chinese  sufferers  of 
Macao  as  came  in  my  way.  My  intention  was  to  receive  patients  la- 
bouring under  every  species  of  sickness,  but  principally  those  affected 
with  diseases  of  the  eyes,  diseases  most  distressing  to  the  labouring 
classes,  among  whom  they  are  very  prevalent,  and  from  which  the  u* 
ter  incapacity  of  native  practitioners  denies  to  them  all  hope  of  relief 

"  During  that  year  my  own  funds  supplied  the  necessary  outlay 
Throughout  I  have  received  little  or  no  professional  assistance.  Iii 
1828,  many  friends,  who  had  witnessed  the  success  of  my  exertions  in 
the  preceding  year,  and  who  had  become  aware  of  the  expenses  I  had 
incurred,  came  forward  to  aid  in  the  support  of  a  more  regular  infirma- 
ry which  J[  proposed  to  establish,  and  put  me  in  possession  of  means 
to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  such  patients  as  I  found  it  necessary 
to  keep  for  some  time  nnder  my  care ;  but  who,  depending  for  their 
livelihood  on  daily  labour,  could  not  otherwise  have  reaped  the  benefits 
held  out  to  them. 

"  Thus  the  hospital  grew  upon  my  hands.  Confidence  was  establish- 
ed  among  a  people  who  had  been  accustomed  to  consider  foreigners  as 
barbarians,  incapable  of  virtuous,  almost  of  human  feelings ;  and  the 
number  of  my  inmates  was  regulated  only  by  the  limits  of  my  accom- 
modations. Two  small  houses  have  been  rented  at  Macao,  capable  of 
receiving  about  forty  patients :  there  are  many  more  of  the  nature  of 
out-patients ;  such  only  being  housed  as,  coming  from  a  distance,  have 
no  friends  with  whom  they  can  reside. 

"The  best  proof  which  can  be  offered  of  the  entire  confidence  of  the 
people,  and  of  the  benefits  which  have  been  conferred  upon  them,  is  this 
that  since  the  commencement  of  this  undertaking  on  a  small  scale  in 
1827,  about  four  thousand  indigent  Chinese  have  been  relieved  from  va- 
rious maladies;  many  have  been  restored  to  sight;  still  piore,  saved 
from  impending  blindness,  have  resumed  their  usual  occupations,  and 
have  supported,  instead  of  remaining  burdens  on,  their  families. 

"  The  more  opulent  and  respectable  classes  of  Chinese  have,  in  the 
last  three  years,  added  their  names  to  the  list  of  subscribers,  and  have, 
by  giving  the  hospital  the  sanction  of  their  support,  much  enlarged  the 
circle  of  its  usefulness.  The  East  India  Company  has  written  of  it  in 
terms  of  approbation,  and,  when  applied  to,  liberally  supplied  it  with 
medicines. 

"  Independently  of  the  practical  benefits  conferred  on  suffering  hu- 
manity, it  is  most  desirable  that  the  enlightened  nation  to  which  I  be- 
long should  be  known  in  this  country  as  possessing  other  characteris- 
tics than  those  attached  to  us  solely  as  merchants  and  adventurers.  As 
charitably  anxious  to  relieve  the  distresses  of  our  fellow-creatures  we 
may  be  remembered  when  the  record  of  our  other  connexions  with 
China  has  passed  away." 

Such  is  the  simple,  modest,  and  impressive  narrative  of 
the  English  gentleman,  Mr.  CoUedge,  whose  pen  furnished 
the  above,  and  whose  deeds  are  an  honour  to  himself,  his 
country,  and  his  race.  His  reward  must  have  been  ample, 
in  the  serene  satisfaction  of  his  own  benevolent  and  self-ap- 
proving mind  and  heart.  But,  in  addition  to  this,  the  letters 
of  gratitude  addressed  to  him  by  the  suffering  Chinese 
whom  he  had  cured,  and  which,  though  numerous,  are  full 


CHINESE    ORATITUOK. 


415 


Of  interest  and  originality,  must  have  been  more  precious  to 

rZ    l^V'^r'  ""'  S°^^-     ^  ^^^^  «»^°'t  extracts  from  these 
remarkable  documents  will  be  read  with  pleasure 

IhreeChmese,  named  Leu  Ake,  Leu  Ahavu  and  Kan 

Amang  from  the  district  of  Sinhwiy,  say,  "We' were  ^irf 

faring  from  total  blindness,  and  could  no    disiinS  dat 

from  mght,  when  unexpectedly  we  heard  of  the  beLTolence 

and  charity  of  the  skilful  English  doctor,  whose  benefit! 

Zlts  To  T^,''7'°  ''""^'^'y  ^'^P-^-  medLines?and 
supplies   board,  lodging,   and   everything   complete.     We 

came  on  purpose  to  be  near  his  healing  a?t,  and,  happilv  in 

doctor's  I'ibeS^^fr  ^""^^^  '"^^'"'''^  ^"'^  gratitude  for  the 
uocior  s  liberal  favours ;  we  are  now  returninc-home  nnH 

prostrate  make  our  acknowledgments.     We  do  noT  know 
when  we  shall  be  able  to  offer  a^ecompense.     W^can  onlv 

nately  it  occurred  that  you,  sir,  reached  this  iSd' where 

your  skiltul  hand.     You  spared  no  labour  nor  trouble  ihrcIp 
no  account  of  the  expense  of  the  medicines  both  k' 7^^ 

SIZ  ^^^r^"''""'^""^  S"^«  ™«  "««  «"d  tea.     TrX  tWs 
18  what  neither  m  andent  nor  modern  times  has  ever  been  " 

Shan"  atl  ,^,'^--\Kw«  Tingchang,  of  the  district  of  W 
«  T  V  ^-  ""'^u"^  ^''  blindness  and  his  perfect  cure,  says 
"  I,  Kwo  Tingchang,  with  a  thankful  hearl  return  to  tiy  v^! 
^ge;  when  can  I  make  a  poor  return  for  your  goodness  » 
My  whole  family  is  grateful  for  your  favo^,^"  wSue  wfth 
eaping  and  joy  I  present  these  expressions  the  eof  In  S 
t^e  villages  your  fame  will  bo  spread." 

This  ,s  sufficient  to  show  the  good  done,  and  the  sense  of 
gratitude  inspired  by  it;  and,  where  these  have  befn  effect 
ed  the  soil  may  be  said  to  be  well  prepared  for  Christian 
i-^r'-uS.'"'"^''  ^"J^^^^'  ^  fuimment^f  the  sS^^^^^^^ 

a  harf  InH  f^^  ^"  be  un. topped ;  the  lame  shall  leap  as 
a  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  shall  sine  " 

In  imitation  of  the  benevolent  work  already  described 
some  American  missionaries,  aided  by  the  medical  eentle' 
Zlf  ^'"f"'  f  ^^bji^h^d  a  general  dispensary  for  th^e  ^a 
tuitous  supply  of  medicine  to  the  Chinese  poor  ;  and,  under 
the  durection  of  a  Dr.  Parker,  to  whom  th«  fun^.  "°ii"!I».i 


416 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


by  the  society  in  Philadelphia  are  remitted,  this  has  also  ef- 
fected a  vast  amount  of  good.  But,  besides  the  suffering 
which  it  has  relieved,  it  has  led  to  the  conception  of  a  more 
enlarged  undertaking,  the  proposition  of  virhich  has  but  just 
reached  this  country  from  China,  and  has  been  well  receiv- 
ed. It  is  entitled  "  Suggestions  for  the  Formation  of  a 
Medical  Missionary  Society,  offered  to  the  consideration  of 
all  Christian  nations,  more  especially  to  the  kindred  nations 
of  England  and  the  United  States  of  America."  My  hopo 
and  belief  is,  that  this  society  will  be  soon  formed,  and  the 
appearance  of  the  volume  I  have  mentioned  is  therefore  most 
opportune,  as  being  well  calculated  to  forward  its  accom- 
plishment. 

For  myself,  I  shall  always  remember  with  pleasure  the 
share  I  was  permitted  to  enjoy  in  advocating  the  utility  of 
such  labours  as  these  at  the  public  meeting  of  the  society  in 
Philadelphia,  from  a  sincere  conviction  that  they  are  calcu- 
lated to  effect  much  certain  and  unequivocal  good  in  reliev- 
ing a  large  amount  of  human  suffering,  and  that  they  will 
pave  the  way  to  even  higher  and  more  important  benefits,  in 
the  introduction  of  moral  and  religious  truth  to  replace  the 
ignorance  and  superstition  in  which  China  and  the  surround- 
ing countries  are  now  so  deeply  immersed.  The  operations 
of  the  society,  however,  should  not  be  confined  to  any  one 
quarter  of  the  globe,  but  be  spread  over  every  part  of  it ; 
for,  if  there  be  anything  universally  acceptable,  it  is  relief 
from  pain,  and  the  substitution  of  health  for  sickness ;  and, 
therefore,  the  missionaries  of  this  body  might  be  fitly  sent 
forth  into  all  the  countries  of  the  earth,  for  everywhere  they 
would  be  the  most  appropriate  heralds  of  those  "  glad  ti- 
dings of  great  joy  which  proclaimed  on  earth  peace  and 
good-will  towards  men." 

Their  benevolent  labours  would  be  a  constant  illustration 
of  the  parable  of  the  good  Samaritan — a  daily  commentary 
on  the  example  of  Jesus  and  his  disciples — and  a  becoming 
imitation  bf  their  great  model  of  perfection,  who  "  went  about 
doing  good  ;"  while  they  might  repeat  in  every  ear  his  gold- 
en precept,  "  Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them  ;  for  this  is 
the  law  and  the  prophets;"  and  they  might  then  point  to 
their  own  lives  as  a  proof  that  what  they  taught  to  others 
they  practised  themselves. 


VISIT   TO   THK   EAST£RN   PENITENTIARY. 


417 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Visit  to  the  Eastern  Penitentiary  of  Philadelphia.— Statistic*  of  Crime  amonr  its  In- 
mates.—Chief  Sources  of  Crime,  IgnorHnce  and  Intemperance.— English  Origin  of 
the  Pennsylvania  System.- Prisons  of  Gloucester,  Glasgow,  and  Pliiladelphia.— Ene- 
lish,  Prussian,  Belgian,  and  French  Testimony.- Report  of  Mr.  Crawford  on  the 
Penitentiary  System. -Objections  answered  by  American  Authorities.— Keport  to  the 
Stale  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania.— Corrupt  Picture  of  Society  ten  Years  ago  — 
Oontrast  of  preHent  Tranquillity  and  Onler.— Superior  Morality  of  the  City  of  Phil- 
•delphia.— Public  Discussion  of  the  Subject  in  Massachusetts.— Opinions  of  the  Le- 
gislature  of  Ohio.- Questions  of  Religious  Instruction  in  Prisons.- Defects  of  this 
at  Auburn  and  Smgwng.- Superiority  of  this  at  the  Philadelphia  Prison.-Advan- 
tages  of  voluntarv  over  coerced  Keform— Opinion  of  Mr.  Surgeon,  an  English  Wri- 
ter—Question of  comparative  Expense  in  the  Systems.— Disadvantages  of  Prison- 
ers Intercourse  at  Auburn— Advantages  of  Prisoners'  Seclusion  at  Philadelphia.— 
Concludmg  Testunonies  of  De  Tocqueville  and  Crawford. 

Our  last  visit  to  any  of  the  public  institutions  of  Phila- 
delphia was  to  the  Eastern  Penitentiary,  where  we  were 
accompanied  by   Mr.  Nicholas  Biddle,  and  met   by  Mr. 
Wood,    the   warden,  and   Mr.  Bradford  and   Mr.  Bacon, 
two  members  of  the  board  of  inspectors.     Our  former  vis- 
it had  been  made  with  Mr.  Matthew  Carey ;  and  a  general 
description  of  the  building  and  the  discipline  of  the  estab- 
lishment has  been  given  in  a  former  page.     But  on  this  sec- 
ond visit  we  had  an  opportunity  of  bestowing  a  more  delib- 
erate examination,  of  visiting  several  of  the  prisoners  in 
their  cells,  of  conversing  freely  with  them  alone,  and  of 
having  all  our  inquiries  frankly  answered  by  the  inspectors 
and  warden,  who  took  the  deepest  interest  in  showing  us 
all  we  desired  to  see,  and  explaining  to  us  all  we  wished  to 
understand ;  and  we  spared  no  pains  to  make  the  most  of 
these  advantages,  as  there  is,  perhaps,  no  subject  on  which 
it  is  more  important  to  the  interests  of  humanity  to  have 
correct  views  extensively  circulated,  than  in  that  of  ascer- 
taining what  are  the  chief  causes  of  crime,  and  what  are 
the  best  modes  for  its  prevention  and  cure. 

The  distinct  manner  in  which,  in  this  and  in  almost  all 
other  prisons,  the  commission  of  crime  can  be  traced  to  two 
predominant  causes,  ignorance  and  intemperance,  is  a  cir- 
cumstance of  the  highest  value  in  directing  the  attention  of 
legislators  and  philanthropists  to  the  proper  remedies  for  the 
evil,  education  and  sobriety. 

Of  those  that  remained  in  the  penitentiary  in  1837,  the 
following  was  the  condition  on  the  two  points  named : 
Vol.  I.—  3  G  • 


418 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


EDUCATION. 

Can  read  and  write    ...  342 

Can  read  only       ....  183 

Cannot  read  or  write     .    .  173 

Total    ....  697 


HABITS. 

Drank,  and  got  drunk    ...  603 

Drank,  but  did  not  get  drunk  .  26 

Sober 159 

Uncertain 10 


Total 697 

The  opinions  of  the  warden  himself,  whose  age,  experi- 
ence,  intelligence,  and  official  situation  give  the  highest 
weight  to  his  testimony,  are  thus  powerfully  expressed  on  this 
subject : 

"  Important  as  it  is  to  possess  a  good  penal  code  and  prison  disci- 
pline, it  is  even  more  essential  that  our  youth  be  so  trained  and  educa- 
ted as  to  fit  them  for  useful  members  of  society.  If  this  subject  were 
properly  attended  to,  I  believe  the  number  of  criminals  in  this  highly- 
favoured  country  would  be  very  small  indeed.  A  close  personal  ob- 
servation of  all  the  prisoners  who  have  been  admitted  into  this  Peniten- 
tiary (675),  convinces  me  that,  with  few  exceptions,  they  were  an  ig- 
norant and  much-neglected  part  of  the  community — thrust  into  society 
without  school-learning ;  without  moral  training,  or  scarcely  any  idea 
of  religion ;  without  habits  of  industry,  or  trades  to  qualify  them  to  gain 
an  honest  livelihood — can  it  be  wondered  that,  sooner  or  later,  they  be- 
come offenders  against  the  laws,  and  the  unhappy  inmates  of  a  prison  1 
No  class  is  so  entirely  neglected  as  our  coloured  population,  and  we  ac- 
cordingly find  a  large  comparative  number  of  this  class  among  the  con- 
victed." 

The  distinguishing  feature  of  the  discipline  observed  in 
the  Penitentiary  of  Philadelphia  is,  that  each  prisoner  is 
confined  in  a  separate  cell,  and  furnished  with  labour  to 
perform  alone,  out  of  the  sight  and  hearing  of  any  of  his 
criminal  companions.     This  is  called  the  Separate  System, 
in  contradistinction  to  the  plan  observed  at  Auburn  and 
Singsing  in  the  State  of  New- York,  where  the  mode  pur- 
sued is  called  the  Silent  System,  from  the  circumstance  of 
the  prisoners  working  in  company  with  each  other,  but  be- 
ing strictly  forbidden,  under  severe  penalties,  to  utter  a  sin- 
gle word.     At  the  first  introduction  of  this  Separate  System 
into  America,  a  strong  prejudice  existed  against  its  adop- 
tion, and  even  now  the  opposition  is  far  from  being  with- 
drawn, though  it  is  lessening  in  its  force  every  year.     It  is 
thought  by  many  to  be  of  American  origin,  but  this  is  an 
error,  though  it  has  certainly  been  brought  to  greater  per- 
fection in  Philadelphia  than  elsewhere.     It  is  of  English 
birth,  as  is  shown  by  the  Second  Report  of  the  Inspectors 
of  Prisons  for  the  Home  District  in  England,  addressed  to 
Lord  John  Russell  as  secretary  of  state  for  the  Home  De- 
partment, under  date  of  April,  1837,  in  which  they  soy, 

"  The  system  .originated  in  England  in  the  year  1790,  and  was  first 
enforced  in  the  county-jail  at  Gloucester.    For  some  time  previous,  that 


THE    SEPARATE    SYSTEM. 


419 


Tah^ed  t?  S  rsTSienVs^'^^^^^  ''^^^  eminent  .neTent;: 

The  building  Ts  provSwTth  sTnarat^^^  °^  P"«°»«'»- 

ministered  in  the  cell  as  wpI  afin  fi/^K      i^'Tu  'nf.^'uct'on  was  ad- 
forced  at  GWster  for  a  perfcd  J^^^  The  discipline  was  e„. 

life  is  the  secondary  punishmeSt ;  andi  in  the  casS  t^eTo^^^  '^'" 

£SaX«r^^^^ 

tionTf  the  sy^^^^^^        ^^"  '«^"^*  "^  ^'^^^^  investigations  was  th«  adop- 

ceDt?i«t«nh:!"?:'"i'J?°':  ^''^^  ^«  advert  farther  ?o^i?s  d Spline  "£ 
SKeXced  fo  l^ll'  '"•?••«?«''!«  P^oft  that  individual  separa'S 
and  heaUh  l«"gthe«ed  penods  with  perfect  safety  to  the  mind 

ysIr?S[.H„rZTo1"j!l°^^^^^^^^^  '"  '^l'"  Penitentiary  for 

J  --., ^  —  — (s^  t,,  VrSiuu  yvriuQ  mey  nave  Deen  conimed  aioue 


430 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


in  their  cell,  day  and  night,  and  cut  off  from  all  intercourse  with  the 
world  and  with  their  fellow-prisoners ;  the  solitude  being  mitigated 
solely  by  employment,  and  the  visits  of  the  prison-officers  and  others 
authorised  to  inspect  the  Penitentiary.  And  what  is  the  result  1  It 
appears  that  of  twenty-six  prisoners  who  have  been  in  confinement  for 
three  years  and  upward,  all  are  apparently  improved,  rather  than  oth- 
erwise, in  mind,  and  decidedly  better  in  bodily  health  than  when  they 
entered  the  prison ;  while,  in  the  opinion  of  those  most  competent  to 
judge  on  such  a  subject,  the  deterring  influence  of  the  discipline  has  had 
a  powerful  effect  in  preventing  crime." 

The  opinion  of  the  warden  of  the  Philadelphia  Peniten- 
tiary, Mr.  Wood,  is  in  exact  accordance  with  that  of  the 
English  inspectors  quoted  above,  as  to  the  effects  of  the  dis- 
cipline in  deterring  from  the  commission  of  crime,  and  this, 
of  course,  is  one  of  its  most  important  ends ;  for  in  the  last 
report  of  the  warden,  after  the  fmancial  statement  connected 
with  the  prison,  he  says : 

"  The  pecuniary  affairs  of  the  Penitentiary  never  exhibited  so  favour- 
able a  result,  notwithstanding  the  very  high  price  of  all  kinds  of  provis- 
ion, as  appears  from  the  settli^ment  of  cur  accounts  to  the  31st  of  De- 
cember last,  a  statement  of  which  tho  clerk  has  prepared  for  transmis- 
sion to  the  proper  authorities  to  be  audited  and  settled. 

"  Satisfactory  as  our  financial  condition  appears,  we  have,  I  conceive, 
much  higher  reason  to  rejoice  at  the  happy  influence  produced  on  the 
minds  and  habits  of  many  who  have  been  uimates  of  this  institution,  as 
evinced  by  their  good  conduct  and  industrious  habits  since  their  dis- 
charge. Some  of  them  we  have  known  and  watched  for  several  years ; 
and,  although  a  few  have  returned,  yet  the  greater  part  have  shown  a 
decided  disposition  to  improve  the  salutary  lesson  given  here.  The  re- 
sult has  been,  thus  far,  such  as  not  only  to  compensate  the  sacrifices 
incurred  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  the  system  into  complete  operation, 
but  to  encourage  us  to  persevere  in  the  good  work ;  which  affords,  as  I 
confidently  believe,  the  most  eflicient  means  which  human  intelligence 
has  yet  devised,  or  human  efforts  can  probably  accomplish,  of  protecting 
the  novice  in  crime  from  contamination  by  the  more  hardened  and  de- 
praved, and  of  reforming,  at  the  same  time,  a  large  proportion  of  both 
these  classes  of  offenders." 

Besides  the  testimony  fiirnished  by  the  English  inspectors 
of  prisons  to  the  excellence  of  this  system,  intelligent  for- 
eigners of  the  highest  character  add  their  suffrages  also  in 
its  favour.  In  1834,  the  Prussian  government,  ever  fore- 
most, to  its  honour  be  it  said,  in  legislative  measures  for 
promoting  education  and  abating  crime,  sent  out  a  distin- 
guished jurist  and  excellent  man.  Dr.  Julius,  to  make  inves- 
tigations into  the  prison-discipline  of  the  United  States ;  and, 
after  bestowing  the  most  careful  attention  on  the  subject  in 
all  its  details,  and  visiting  the  several  establishments  in  which 
the  different  plans  of  the  Silent  System  and  the  Separate 
System  prevailed,  though  he  came  out  strongly  in  favour  of 
the  former,  he  ended  iu  being  convinced  of  the  superiority 


SEPARATE    SYSTEM. 


421 


of  tae  latter,  as  he  thus  expresses  himself  in  a  letter  address- 
e4  to  the  inspectors  of  English  prisons  before  named 7 
rs^L^^f^  *■*  *?"'  arguments  by  which  I  am  led  to  adopt  with  von  »h« 

fully  preserved  fmm  conUminSn  £  even  cSS  cS     ThlT  ''*'*• 
^L  l^'^^l'^T^'l  V^^  sentiments  exprewed  in  the  foUowir  letter 

r5^.5fSS£S.-sS 

Sr«?7'  ^k'  *'  *'''*'7  opportunity  was  afforded  me  of  doiL^so  I 
conversed  with  many  of  the  prisoners.    I  have,  conseauentlv  iL^e 

wh  chirhro^duS?  \'h'  p"""p'^'  ?f  "^^  insuSra^S'e's; 

monti  Lh  i^  "  *•*  •  \*'®'"'  cpmmunieations  have  changed  mr  senti- 
t^^roS'sJitsfpThv  r  ^""■1"** ',?  C"*^*"^  *»*«  PenitentSifr  aaal.  insti. 
caSateSo  n1iH^fJ^l'"^'*  ^n^'gl^tened  a>d  active  benevolence,  and 

SnditSn  of  sSj^^^^^^^^  '^'PP'"**  '^'"'^  °°  ^^«  "«>'»^  '^'*'««^'  •«» 

The  Belgian  government,  also  taking  an  Aterest  in  thi^ 
question,  sent  its  inspector-general  of  prisons.  Monsieur 
Ducpetiaux,  to  England  and  Scotland,  w«er«,  after  examin- 
ing  the  Bridewell  of  Glasgow,  he  became  so  convinced  of 
the  superiority  of  the  Separate  System  ^o  every  other  that 
had  yet  been  tried,  that  he  induced  the  Belgian  government 
to  adopt  it  in  the  principal  prisom?  of  chat  country. 

The  two  distinguished  French  travellers,  Messrs.  Beau- 
mont  and  De  Tocqueville,  whosa  opinions  on  any  subject 
connected  with  legislation  and  jurisprudence  are  entitled  to 
the  highest  weight,  also  mede  the  subject  of  prison  discipline  ^ 
one  of  careful  examination,  and  they  speak  of  the  Separate 
System  pursued  at  Peansylvania  in  the  following  terms  : 

"  In  Philadelphia,  the  moral  situation  in  which  the  convicts  are  olaeed 
is  eminently  calculaferf  to  facilitate  their  reformation.  We  have  more 
Jn»"„once  remarked  the  serious  turn  which  the  ideas  of  the  prisoners  in 
tu6  renitcuiiary  iake.    We  have  seen  convictjs  there  whose  levity  had 

36 


489 


rJIN^8YLTANIA. 


led  them  to  cnme,  and  whose  minds  had,  in  that  solitude,  contracted 
habits  of  meditation  and  of  reasoning  altogether  extraordinary.     The 

Sstem  of  this  prison  appeared  to  us  especially  powerful  over  individu- 
I  endowed  with  some  elevation  of  mind ;  this  we  can  assert,  that  this 
absolute  solitude  produces  the  liveliest  impression  on  all  prisoners  gen- 
erally, their  hearts  are  found  ready  to  open  themselves,  and  the  facility 
of  being  moved  renders  them  also  fitter  for  reformation ;  they  are  par- 
ticularly accessible  to  religious  sentiments,  and  the  remembrance  of  their 
family  has  an  uncommon  power  over  their  minds  ;  one  who  enjoys  tlie 
mtercourse  of  society  is  perhaps  incapable  of  feeling  the  whole  value 
of  a  religious  idea  thrown  into  the  lonesome  cell  of  a  convict. 

"  Nothing  distracts  in  Philadelphia  the  mind  of  the  convicts  from  their 
meditations ;  and  as  they  are  always  isolated,  the  presence  of  a  person 
who  comes  to  converse  with  them  is  the  greatest  benefit,  and  one 
which  they  appreciate  in  its  whole  extent ;  how  great  must  be  the  influ- 
ence of  wise  advice  and  pious  exhortation  on  their  minds.  The  books 
which  are  at  their  disposalare,  in  some  measure,  companions  who  nev- 
er leave  them.  The  Bible,  and  some  tracts  containing  edifying  anec- 
dotes,  form  their  library.  If  they  do  not  work,  they  read  ;  and  several 
of  them  seem  to  find  in  it  a  great  consolation. 

"These  are  the  means  employed  in  Philadelphia  to  enlighten  and  re- 
form the  convict.  Can  there  be  a  combination  more  powerful  for  ref- 
ormation than  that  of  a  prison  which  hands  over  the  prisoner  to  all 
the  trials  of  solitude,  leads  him  through  reflection  to  reasoning,  through 
religion  to  hope ;  makes  him  industrious  by  the  burden  of  idleness,  and 
which,  while  it  inflicts  the  torments  of  solitude,  makes  him  find  a  charm 
in  the  converse  of  pious  men,  whom  otherwise  he  would  have  seen 
with  indiflference  and  heard  without  pleasure." 

The  testimony  in  favour  of  the  Penitentiary  System  of 
PhiVidelphia might  be  considered,  therefore,  to  be  completed, 
enxbraning  as  it  does  the  approbation  of  so  many  distin- 
guished men  from  such  different  countries,  and  coming, 
too,  many  of  them,  to  the  examination  of  the  subject  with 
strong  prejudices  against  it.  There  remains  yet  to  be  ad- 
ded,  however,  that  of  an  English  gentleman,  Mr.  WiUiam 
Crawford,  sent  ^ut  to  America  by  the  English  government 
for  the  express  piifpose  of  visiting  the  prisons  of  this  coun- 
try ;  and  who,  m  hjg  report  to  Lord  Buncannon,  then  sec- 
retary of  state  for  fte  Home  Department,  speaks  thus  of  the 
Penitentiary  of  PhiUdelphia : 

"Having  had  unrestraintd  privilege  to  visit  the  cells  at  all  times,  I 
have  had  many  opportunities  of  conversing  in  private  with  a  consider, 
able  number  of  the  prisoners.  Aware  of  the  strong  feeling  which  ex- 
ists of  the  danger  resulting  frota  long  periods  of  solitary  confinement 
thus  stnctly  enforced,  my  inquiries  were  carefully  directed  to  the  ef- 
fects which  It  had  produced  on  the  health,  mind,  and  character  of  the 
convict.  I  have  uniformly  found  that  the  deterring  influence  is  ex- 
tremely great,  and  such  as  I  beMeve  belongs  to  no  other  system  of  jail 
management;  for  although,  in  lai^ge  bodies  Ssaociated  together,  silence 
may,  by  strict  discipline,  be  in  a  ^reat  measure  maintained,  prisoners 
thus  debarred  from  speakmg  have  inevitably  recourse  to  other  modes  of 
communication.  I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  inferred  thjLt  moral  corruption 
can  result  from  mtercourse  so  limited ;  yet,  when  men  we  day  after  day 


SKPiRATB  SYSTEM. 


423 


2l^T„«?°  ^^^  society  of  each  other,  the  irksomeness  of  imDrisonmenft 
becomes  impaired,  and  its  terrors  materiaJlv  diminished     tK-!? 
Penitentiary  imparts  no  such  relief.    '^'""^^  aiminished.     The  Lasteru 

cmline  was  less  corrective  than  the  restraints  of  cominu J   ItJLdT 
M'hen  prisoners  are  associated,  it  is  extremely  difficulurcut  off  a  itn' 
tercourse  from  without.    The  arrival  of  new  and  the  dischlrie  of  o  h«; 
convicts  form  constant  channels  of  communication       in  thl  p« 
Penitentiary  the  separation  from  the  wSscerVrand  college     sS 
stnctis  this  seclusion,  that  I  found,  on  conversing  with  the  Eone« 
that  they  were  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  the  cho  era  wSioh  lf«^* 
but  a  few  months  before,  prevailed  in  Philadelphia     Se^xdJSion  of 
all  knowledge  of  their  friends  is  severely  felt ;  6ut,  althoutrh  eveJv  Sllu 
■ion  to  their  situation  was  accompanied  bv  a  strong  s«n«««f  .i,?Z„k 

MTik^r^^^^^^^^^^ 

sti.i^rpSLr''"''^ ''  '-'-'^^^  eSfi  Je.'^T:'rtfc2 

"  The  only  offences  in  the  Eastern  Penitentiary  which  the  orisoner  o»n 
commit  are  idleness,  and  wilful  damage  to  the  materials  o?whTchhe^ 
at  work;  on  such  occasions  he  is  punished  by  the  loss  of  emplovment 

TmT."^'.'*"r*'^  *'"  ^""^^  *"■  •'•""^  confinement  in  a  darkened  3* 
The  necessity  for  correction  is  extremely  rare;  there  is  not  a  whio  nor 
are  th^re  any  firearms  within  the  walls  of  the  priso"  ^'    ""^ 

POwSfReliTKIhpTf!;;*  **  T  """l^  ^"  exemplary  punishment,  but  a 
powenui  agent  in  the  reformation  of  mora  s :    t  inevitablv  tends  tn  nr 
rest  the  progress  of  corruption.    la  the  silence  of  the  ceK  Saminl.' 
tmn  cannot  be  received  or  imparted.    A  sense  of  degradai^n  can„"  t  £ 
excited  by  exposure,  nor  reformation  checked  by  falsi  shame    Day  afte! 

UsfenTolh'!?  r"'Pr°"r  '"'*  ^^  thoughts,  the  convict  is  cmnpefled  to 
listen  to  the  reproofs  of  conscience  ;  he  is  led  to  dwell  upon  oast  er 

L^K»t«Ttf  ^ff*"? "™''*"r'  T.  *"  'h«  '''«'»««'  ^^eree  calculated  to 
oSTbS  tl  tii  h^*- *"*"'  "•"'*  '"'''!1'™  ^^^  ^'«"'-  The  mind  become. 
*Tf2!  A  ^f^  mpressions,  and  prepared  for  the  reception  of  those 
truths  and  consolations  which  Christianity  can  alone  impart."       ^ 

It  IS  impossible  to-coneeive  a  coincidence  of  opinion  so 
striking  as  that  nianifested  by  so  many  different  minds  and 
under  such  varied  circumstances,  without  the  strongest  as, 
surance  of  theur  soundness  and  truth ;  and  I  may  add,  that 
tke  almost  universal  feeling  and  sentiment  of  the  intelligent 
population  of  Philadelphia  coincided  entirely  with  that  of 
those  distinguished  foreigners. 

It  is  from  other  states,  where  the  silent  system  prevails 
that  the  opposition  to  the  separate  system  of  Pennyslvania  is 
chiefly  made.  Some  of  these  are  thus  powerfully  answered 
HI  a  report  of  a  body  of  commissioners  appointed  by  the 
Legislature  to  inquire  into  the  condition  of  the  Eastern  Pen- 
itentiary and  the  House  of  Refuge  at  Philadelphia,  who  say, 
"The  notion  has  orevailed  to  somB  nvtont  in  th.,  »»»,~,.-u..  .«._..  .u. 


484 


MlfNITLTAiriA. 


eontiiraal,  uninterrnpted  restraints  of  the  solitary  cell,  practised  in  tha 
baatern  Penitentiary,  must  necessarily  undermine  and  eventually  de- 
stroy the  health  and  physical  vigour  of  the  convict.  Your  committee 
have  felt  it  their  duty  to  inquire  into  the  truth  or  falsity  of  this  allega- 
tion. On  this  question,  the  committee  have  not  relied  ou  abstract  rea- 
sonings and  doubtful  speculation,  but  have  employed  more  convincing 
test8~-the  results  of  experiment  and  the  application  of  ascertained  facts 
"In  the  prisons  at  Columbus,  Ohio;  at  Wethersfield,  Connecti- 
cut J  at  Charleston,  Massachusetts  ;  at  Singsing  and  at  Auburn,  New- 
York  ;  and  at  several  other  prisons  and  penitentiaries,  solitary  confine- 
ment in  cells  is  alternated  with  labour  in  the  open  air  during  a  large 
portion  of  each  day.  A  comparison  of  the  bills  of  mortality  of  the 
Jiastern  Penitentiary  with  these  several  institntions,  will  show  conclu- 
sively that  the  unbroken  solitude  of  the  Pennsylvania  discipline  does 
not  mjuriously  affect  the  health  of  the  convicts.  At  the  Eastern  Pen- 
itentiary the  deaths  are  two  and  five  tenths  per  cent. ;  at  the  Singsing 
jwison,  four  per  cent. ;  at  Auburn,  two  per  cent.  ;  and  so  on :  settling  the 
question  beyond  a  possibility  of  doubt,  that  as  great  a  measure  of  health 
is  preserved  m  the  Pennsylvania  prisons  as  in  other  similar  institutions 
m  the  Unitod  States  or  elsewhere. 

"  Another  objection  sometimes  urged  against  the  Pennsylvania  eye- 
tem  of  discipline,  and,  in  the  apprehension  of  your  committee,  equally 
groundless  with  that  lost  considered,  is  the  supposed  tendency  of  unin- 
terrupted solitary  seclusion  to  derange  the  mental  energies,  to  'dethrone 
reason,  and  make  wreck  of  the  immortal  mind.'  In  this  case,  too,  the 
committee  had  recourse  to  indisputable  facts,  and  the  verity  of  record 
evidence.  A  comparison  of  the  registers  of  the  several  penitentiaries  in 
the  United  States  will  demonstrate  the  position  that  the  Pennsylvania 
pnson  exhibits  as  few,  if  not  fewer,  cases  of  mental  derangement  as 
any  similar  institution.  Indeed,  no  instance  of  insanity  has  as  yet  oc- 
curred  in  the  Eastern  Penitentiary  which  has  not  been  traced  to  causes 
wftolly  independent  of,  and  either  anterior  or  posterior  to,  the  confine- 
ment. Whatever  might  be  the  disturbing  and  stultifying  effects  of 
strict  seclusion  without  labour,  without  books,  without  moral  instruc 
tion,  and  without  daily  intercourse  with  the  keepers,  certain  it  is  that, 
with  all  these  circumstances  to  relieve  the  distressing  ennui  and  the 
supposed  maniacal  effects  of  absolute  isolation,  the  inmates  of  our 
cause"  *™  "*d°°  *'*"®®''  °^  a^'ewation  or  alienation  of  mind  from  the 

But  even  admitting  that  in  some  instances  the  health  of 
the  individuals  wa;*  injured,  an^l  in  a  few  cases  insanity  pro- 
duced— of  which,  however,  there  is  -o  reasonable  wound 
Wehension^  ^the  gain  to  society  in  general  happi  ,es8 
would  still  be  great,  from  the  diminution  of  crime  to  which 
this  system  of  punishment  has  led.  To  what  extent  this  has 
teen  effected  may  be  judged  from  the  many  pictures  of  so- 
ciety  drawn  m  various  publications  before  its  introduction. 
Une  of  these  is  cited  in  the  Report  of  the  Eastern  Peniten- 
tiary  for  1837,  addressed  by  the  Board  of  Inspectors  4o  thr 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Commonwealth 
ot  rennsylvania,  in  which  they  say : 

\,^i^^u^^^°T^  '°  ^°°^  ^*  *®  ^'■«»*  '"su'ts  of  the  law,  tho  inspectors 
hold  themselves  excused  if,  in  atiemptiug  to  satisfy  the  pubhc  S  a1 


BENKriTf   OP  TUB    aYHTClf. 

glanes.  breaches  of  JrUon,  alarms  in  Vown  »S,,ntrv  th^7'' i'"'"- 
ness,  profanity,  and  indecencies  of  the  pZonTn  in  h«7f  «-♦  '^"'"''«n- 
in  the  memory  of  mast.    With  these  dCera^h"^!'^^^':,.'^""*.  ''* 
inals  increased  to  «jch  a  degree  as  to  alarm  th«rnmm.,'.  ^  "t  "/'"*- 
that  it  would  be  irtipssible  to  find  a  nlace  eTihor  1^?^'"""'*^^'^"**  '^'•" 
enough  to  hold  mS^    It  is  a  legeScf  of  ou    fa the™*!hT.h*^^  °'  "'l!'"* 
«ion  of  midnight  depredators  wal  a  constant  anK„Jl    /''*  ^PP'^hen. 
anxiety,  and  we  all  remember  the  pJecauUons  takt  ^fof''"^  ""N*"*  °' 
my,  wWch  at  this  day  are  only  tfe  ?eTort  of  the  p^^^^^ 
those  whose  imagmalions  conjure  uo  danas™  wh  oi,*^        5^  ■  """•  **' 
they  do,  /t  is  only  in  rare  anrsolat^edaancrs  which  "ft?h«?;  °''  '^ 
novelty,  excite  our  special  wonder     I    i«  withln^l^     '  ^°'  '^eir  very 
man  who  has  attainefthirty  years  of  a^e  tTi  th.  h  ""''?'?'y  °'  ""^ 
the  public  until  within  the  laTten  yefrs  were  fenZf*^"'"-?"'  T5 
with  enormity  in  the  grade  of  crimn  t^ILh     a  ''^'^1"®«'«  and  marked 
tention  of  all  ksses  oSzfns  to  th«  s"hw^    degree  as  to  call  the  at- 
and  diurnal  topic  of  conv""      ,     l1  w„i  ?'  *"'*  T^^^  "'  *"  ""-dinarv 
binations  of  rogues  for  '      „,    ose  of  h^u««  hTl'^  '^^  ^^"  °^  ''«•»- 
and  robbery  in  the  pu'       streels."  house-breakmg,  counterfeiung, 

Nothing  can  certainly  furnish  a  more  powerful  or  more 
pleasing  contrast  to  this  picture  of  society  little  rnorpTh.n 
ten  years  ago,  than  the  actual  state  of  thln^i  as.e^  st^^^^^ 

city  on  the  globe ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  late  disgraceful 
cond.  c    of  a  few  of  its  inhabitants  in   burnW  down  the 
Pennsylvania  Hall,  the  stranger  may  pass  tl.^>ugh  "verv 
Kt      >.'  «^ty  and  its  suburbs,  at  anyVir  of  thf  day  or 
Right   without  risk  of  in  ury  to  his  person  or  property^  he 
may  travel  anywhere  in  the  neighbourhood  ol  ^hrdt/^itb 
as  much  safety  as  within  its  streets ;  he  may  leave  hKors 
and  wmdows  open   almost  with  impunit/  at  n'ghT-    and 
whenever  or  wherever  he  may  direct^his  footste^f  he  will 
ThL^^°\"°  f  ?i,^  t«  offend  the  eye  or  the  ear  iS  his  pS 
That  much  of  this  is  the  result  of  other  influences  there 
can  be  no  donht  •  hi.t  tKo*  w...„i-  .e  u  •.    .      .  "',  "*^"^"^  '"^^^ 
Vol.  I— 3h'  "*""  ■"*""'^'''"' "^"^^^^ainy  attributable 


PKNNBTLTANIA. 


to  the  effect  of  the  penitentiary  syst-^m  in  reforming  previous 
criminals,  and  deterring  those  not  yet  committed  from  en- 
tering on  a  career  of  crime,  I  have  no  doubt  whatever ;  and 
I  feel  convinced  that,  the  longer  tins  svstem  shall  continue 
in  operation,  and  the  more  generally  it  shall  be  adopted, 
the  more  beneficial  its  influence  will  be  on  the  world  at 
large. 

It  is  agreeable  to  observe  that  the  subject  is  exciting 
more  and  more  attention  in  the  Northern  and  Eastern 
States,  and  has  already  become  the  subject  of  an  animated 
public  discussion.  One  of  the  best  publications  I  have  seen 
of  this  class  is  a  work  recently  published  at  Boston,  under 
the  title  of  "  Letters  on  the  Comparative  Merits  of  the  Peun- 
sylvania  and  New-Y^k  Systems  of  Prison  Discipline.  By 
a  Massachusetts  Man."  These  were  -written  chiefly  in  re- 
ply to  an  article  or  articles  in  a  journal  calitsd  "  The  Chris- 
tian Examiner,"  in  which  it  was  alleged  ihav  the  Separate 
System  was  unfavourable  to  the  communication  of  adequate 
religious  instruction  to  the  prisoners ;  was  unnecessarily  ex- 
pensive and  unprofitable  in  a  pecuniary  sense,  and  was  not 
calculated  to  make  the  prisoners  reformed  characters  in 
all  which  lespects  it  was  contended  that  the  Pennsylvania 
system  was  greatly  inferior  to  that  practised  at  Auburn  and 
Singsing. 

In  these  last  a  chaplain  preaches  to  the  whole  number  of 
prisoners  collected  together,  within  sight  of  each  other,  in 
one  large  assembly,  to  which  they  are  marched  in  gangs, 
under  keepers,  who  compel  their  attendance  under  the  fear 
of  the  lash,  so  that  they  go  to  their  worship  as  they  do  to 
their  work,  with  a  sort  of  surly  submission  to  their  fate,  like 
a  bullock  «lrawn  up  to  the  ring  of  a  slaughter-house.  The 
truth  is,  that  prisoners  ordinarily  submit  to  hear  a  sermon  on 
Sunday  with  just  the  same  feeling  as  they  follow  each  other 
in  a  lock-step  to  their  cells,  or  comply  with  any  other  part 
of  the  discipline  which  they  are  sentenced  to  sufler.  Hence 
the  writer  says  very  truly : 

"  Whatever  pretensions  may  be  made,  and  however  deep  and  general 
may  be  the  momentary  excitement  which  it  is  easy  to  produce  in  such 
Ignorant  and  unoccupied  minds,  there  will  be  found  few,  if  any,  perma- 
nent radical  changes  of  character.  The  directors  of  the  new  Ohio  pen- 
itentiary at  Columbus,  in  urging  upon  the  Legislature  the  appointment  of 
a  permanent  chaplain,  speak  of  his  labours  out  of  the  desk  as  fully 
equal  in  importance  to  those  in  it.  By  visiting  the  prisoner  in  the  soh- 
^fcj  "if-  *'®'^'  "^^^^^S  himself  acquainted  with  the  structure  of  his 
mmd,  his  train  of  thought,  his  peculiar  propensities,  and  the  degree  of 
moral  culture  he  has  hitherto  received,  he  would  do  more  towards  the 

reformation  nf  tnn  nrinnnar  than  hv  kia   aai>wnnn«  »..   ti.-   o-LL..}. 


IB, 


RBLI0I0U8  UBBCISES. 

Now  this  is  precisely  what  is  effected  and  secured  bv  the 
Pennsylvania  system.  The  chaplain  visits  duringthe  week 
the  cells  of  the  prisoners,  and  converses  with  "hVm  abne 
when  there  is  no  eye  near  to  watch  the  emot^^  ofTe 
countenance  and  no  ear  to  witness  the  conCbns  of  co„! 
tntion ;  so  that  the  prisoner  is  never  deterred  from  the  fuZ 
expression  of  the  one  or  the  other  by  the  fearTthe  shame 
which  a  large  assembly  might  inspire,  and  the  fullest  scZ 
18  ^us  given  to  his  confidence  in  his  friendly  visher  ^ 

On  the  Sabbath  the  labours  of  the  chapfain  are  thus  iu- 
diciously  directed.  He  places  himself  at  the  top  of  one  ^of 
the  long  avenues  or  corridors  running  from  the  centre  fof 
which  there  are  seven),  and,  with  his  face  and  vo'ce  dfrelt^ 
ed  downward  a  ong  its  length,  he  can  address  himself  so  as 

tent,  both  m  the  corridor  below  and  in  the  ^llery  above 

lye  buUhan?r^T)T'/"  '"  ^^^^^^^^  celf  witLut  an^ 
eye  but  that  of  the  Deity  to  witness  their  demeanour      "  It 

Hi.  .houjht,  are  nndUtSSy  a"  piSj^^r  MhZ  ""S'"  "^f^ "> 

prjsoners.  than  that  of  any  prison  on  the  AubumTn  nSoUke  it 

I  was  glad  to  see  the  opinion  of  my  intelligent  and  be- 
nevolent  friend,  Mr.  James  Simpson,  of  Edinburgh  quoted 
m  this  controversy,  in  support  of  the  view  ta£  by  the 
Massachusetts  writer  that,  instead  of  forcing  reform  on  the 
criminals  by  coerced  public  worship  or  by  any  ^mila^ 
*  Journal  of  the  Legialature  of  Ohio,  1834-i5,  p.  74. 


428 


PBNNaYLVANIl. 


means,  it  was  safest  and  most  effectual  to  lead  them  to  re 
form  themselves.    The  passage  is  this : 
"A  late  English  writer  (Simpson)  observes  that  «Sf  s.  _  j    i 

?oZJh°  '^^of/o^ngreUftZ  fouTan^ftU'l   iv'etSsTf? 
form  the  convict.     He  must  reform  kinuelf.     It  is  our  nart  .f  ft'  '*' 
that  we  do  not  hinder  him  by  our  puSmen  s    bStffioi  ♦),?.«  ?"* 
ly.we  leave  him  to  wi//  to  amendrby  quSihis  ,n4rf  «nH ^^1•*^^^^^ 
activity  his  moral  feelings ;  graduaUy  Kg"n|  back  h"s  self  rStT 
according  to  him  a  portion  of  our  JpprobSn  as  he  de  e^^^^^^^ 
stimuatmghis  mdustry  by  realizing   o  him  its  fruits  in  a  r^rLn  ™ 
horation  of  his  condition  and  improvemeniof  hrprospectT-^^^^^^^ 
ultimate  rewani  of  restoration  to  society,  fumishe/ with^fh«'JI       H 
livelihood  and  a  re-established  charac  erf  and™ot  withiut  hf  Z1T  °^ 
and  «,untenance  of  the  friends  and  weU:wTsir  oT?^2iif„?^^^^^^^ 

The  question  of  religious  instruction  and  self-reforma- 
tion  bemg  thus  disposed  of,  the  writer  next  adverts  to  The 
ppmt  of  expense,  on  which  the  objectors  to  the  Pennsylva- 
ma  system  lay  great  stress.     By  them  this  system  is  charged 

with  leaving  out  of  view  the  profits  of  labour,  and  looW 
exclusively  to  the  reform  of  the  prisoner  ;"  a  W  sSa? 
charge  to  be  brought  against  a  system  of  prison  ^disSffi 
by  a  Christian  Examiner.  As  his  opponent  truly  Z^^l 
the  plan  ought  to  be  to  make  rogues  profitable  to  the  Ltate. 
then  many  improvements  might  be  made  even  on  the  Au' 
burn  system;  though  the  avowed  object  of  that  system  is 
to  make  m^ney  out  of  the  rascals  in  the  first  place,  and,  if 
their  reforrn  should  come  in  as  a  pert  of  the  result,  it  is  iot 
to  be  rejected  because  unsought."     The  testimony  as  to  the 

ownTV^  'u"  '*^''"''"'  ^  P'"^"'  *°  gi^«  in  the  writer's 
own  words.     He  says : 

J'J}1  T*"^®"  °^  ^^^  Singsing  prison,  and  one  of  the  original  founders 
of  the  Auburn  system,  both  declared  to  us  last  May.  m  each  nthpr^ 
presence,  that  they  did  not  consider  the  reform  of  a  S,  "r  Ta  ^llll 
event.  Theirpurpose  is  to  make  him  submit  to  tKmo^HaMkvS 
heir  system  whife  there,  making  the  most  of  his  labourTand  wheM 
term  is  out,  let  him  go,  and  they  will  do  as  weU  as  they  can  to  sunnlv 
his  place  until  his  next  commitment.  '         °  ^^PP'^ 

«,hi-Sf®.u-*'"'"^^'.*',®  ^"^  surprised  at  the  boldness  and  effronterv  with 
which  this  principle  is  avowed,  as  the  correct  basis  of  a  DeStTaiv 
system,  and  that,  too,  by  wise  and  benevolent  men     It  J^  but   J 
LT„  h1°"'  " '"°'"  commissioners  from  the  State  of  mS  examiJ 
ed  both  these  systems  with  considerable  care,  and  with  a  v?ew  to  adSS" 
for  their  own  commonwealth,  that  which,  on  the  whole  seemed  toT' 
best  suited  to  their  wants.    They  reported  in  favouT  of  the  Auburn  ?v« 
tern  and  they  frankly  confess  that  they  were  induced  o  do  so  noTfrJm 
a  conviction  that  it  was  the  best  system,  but  •  chieflv  becau8p'.v  i. 
^,_ar^^testccUculatedto  d^si>urdeI the  state  ofXfleTrs'Jp^S^/ 

"Indeed,  the  '  Christian  Examiner'  himself  exult  un  the  oersuftsion 
that,  whichever  of  the  two  systems  may  be  the  best  1  i  the  pr?s  ""?3 


DISREGARD   OF   DISCIPLINE. 


«» 


perfect  or  n^t,  it  is  on  thif  accomit  r^^^^^  **'*''  ^''^^''er  it  is 

tpbe  adopted  than  the  pSin,TSsvs?em   °  ^'>.  ™»«h  more  likely 

ing  to  the'^Examiner,  thVS  ouestion  w^h  a™  "•'•^'"  r"'^'  ««''°'«'- 
not  what  system  of  MniteKvd?8.Sn«^L"'  American  legislatures  is, 

by  an  enlig^tened/pSSpfcf SSaVLTon  TufSLS  '^f^'^P^^^ 
us  the  greatest  amount  in  dollars  and  cen£'         '  ''"*  '"'•**  *»"  '«»""» 

vertlwrel'iSe&hftSS^'ntot^^  «'^•'^•"«'''  '"<=«"»'o- 

tion  of  her  mode  of  p^„He„  fa??  rscrDhne  {?  ^^^^^  '."  V^*  »«•««- 
that  the  advantages  of  her  system  pSi^;i,ji  "•  ^''eved,  however, 
bly,  if  at  all,  behind  those  of^th«mnnol  "  S"  P°'"*'  *™  inconsidera- 
seen  fitto  declinL  »  money-making  system  which  she  has 

«  !"  n''t'^**^"V*''^V'  P"'""^^  «t  Unburn  and  Singsing  it 
w  well  known  that  the  prisoners,  though  they  are  ffidden 
to  speak  to  each  other,  do  converse  in  wWsoers  and  in 
signs,  and  exchange  communications  aj  hf^^itW  of 
^l'^^  °"  y«"ou8  materials  passing  through  thdr  hands 
They  therefore  contract  intimacies,  if  not  frfendshbs  thef; 
persons  become  familiar  to  each  other  and  tS  ,i^n  !J^ 

e^d^^rtietlfo^^^^^^^^^^^^^        ^-^'-  -Ae^B^tt 

"The  opportunities  for  intercourse  which  o    -   -»n«i,»A.u 
in  Its  most  improved  modifications  are  '»«  the  Auburn  plan, 

inarch  to  and  from  their  cells  and  ?heir  work  .  ZaI  J'^u''''^'  ^''^^ 
in  abundance.  We  have  often  seen  fhpit^nJ^  ^^^  '  • ''^  opportunities 
men  might  be  engagS  in  low  conl^^^^^ 

heard  b;any  man^in%uthori?y  Xon  the  iolkbench  «TS°  r'  ^'"'"^ 
anvil,  and,  indeed,  in  almost  everv3t  of  t>,«  i«,  Ir^'u'  ^*  '^®  ^°'«®  *>' 
the  immediate  presence  andScK  nf  „»  „^«''"'^'"".f."»'  «»««Pt  m 
munication  abound  mspection  of  an  officer,  facihties  of  com- 

th;Ve~  Tve  bLnlnSelirthe'SurP^'C  'T  ^^•^'»-•  '''^ 
pline'  of  L  instirution  thev  sav  t^^     'P^"'  k^  "'t '  ^'^'^'^^'^  ^'«"- 


One  of  the  certain  canfu^nnt^nnoa  «f  ♦!,;.,  -^_ 


luic  ui  inings  IS 


43a 


FKNNSTLTANIA. 


that,  on  being  released  from  their  confinement,  the  prisoners 
recognise  each  other  when  they  meet  in  the  world ;  their 
sympathies  as  fellow-prisoners  are  awakened ;  new  plans  of 
more  successful  crime,  as  they  vainly  hope,  are  projected ; 
and  every  step  only  plunges  them  deeper,  till  they  find  their 
wa^  back  again  to  their  previous  confinement. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Pennsylvania  system  of  complete 
delusion  in  separate  cells  avoids  all  this  evil ;  for,  though  two 
individuals  should  have  been  inmates  of  neighbouring  cells 
for  ever  so  long  a  period,  there  is  no  chance  of  their  knowing 
or  recognising  each  other  ;  and  of  how  great  an  advantage 
it  must  be  to  a  man  truly  resolved  on  reformation,  and  desi- 
rous of  beginning  the  world  anew,  not  to  be  known  as  a 
previously-convicted  criminal  wherever  he  went,  must  be 
obvious  to  the  most  unreflecting.  In  confirmation  of  this 
view  I  will  venture  to  cite  two  short  passages  only  from  two 
equally  high  authorities ;  the  first  from  M.  De  Tocqueville, 
the  French  writer,  and  the  second  from  Mr.  Crawford,  the 
English  commissioner ;  and  with  these  I  think  the  evidence 
will  be  complete. 

**  Let  the  prisoner,"  says  Monsieur  De  Tocqueville,  "  see  no  one  but 
his  keeper  or  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  let  him  reflect  in  his  cell 
upon  his  past  course,  and  his  future  prospects  ;  but,  that  his  reflections 
may  not  be  too  intense,  give  him  employment ;  and  he  will  come  out 
not  only  a  better  man,  but  with  the  advantage  of  not  having  been  seen, 
known,  and  marked  as  a  convict.  It  is  found  by  experience  that  no- 
thing has  a  stronger  tendency  to  soften  the  hard,  stubborn,  vicious  char- 
acter than  absolute  seclusion ;  and  that  is  precisely  the  point  to  be  ob- 
tained with  the  convict." 

"  In  judging  of  the  comparative  merits  of  the  two  systems,"  says 
Mr.  Crawford, "  it  will  be  seen  that  the  discipline  of  Auburn  is  of  a  phys- 
ical, that  of  Philadelphia  of  a  moral  character.  The  whip  inflicts  im- 
mediate pain,  but  solitude  inspires  permanent  terror.  The  former  de- 
grades while  it  humiliates ;  the  latter  subdues,  but  it  does  not  debase. 
At  Auburn  the  convict  is  uniformly  treated  with  harshness,  at  Philadel- 
phia with  civility ;  the  one  contributes  to  harden,  the  other  to  soften  the 
aflfections.  Auburn  stimiilates  vindictive  feeling,  Philadelphia  induces 
habitual  submission.  The  Auburn  prisoner,  when  liberated,  conscious 
that  he  is  known  to  past  associates,  and  that  the  public  eye  has  gazed 
upon  him,  sees  an  accuser  in  every  man  he  meets.  The  Philadelphia 
convict  quits  his  cell  secure  from  recognition  and  exempt  from  re- 
proach." • 

In  the  careful  personal  inspection  which  I  was  permitted 
to  make  of  every  part  of  ihe  Penitentiary,  in  the  free  and 
unconstrained  intercourse  and  conversation  which  I  was  al- 
lowed to  indulge  with  the  prisoners  in  their  separate  cells, 
and  in  the  long  and  interesting  conversation  which  I  had  the 
privilege  to  enjoy  with  the  inspectors  and  warden  of  the 
prison,  all  the  statements  I  have  given  in  the  preceding  pa- 


EXCURSIONS.— WILMINGTON.  43, 

hibits  one  of  the  most  sn^S  7  ?onv»ction  that  it  ex- 

reforming  and  imprlving^trSi'  ^'  *^"  """^^  ^^"^«' 
care.  ^       ^'    "^  criminals  committed  to  its 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

cuS:^^^r  t^^r^i;^^^  -i^  a^reea^Ie  ex- 
enjoying  them.  During Cr  stav  'uL''^^'^^'  °d™it  of  his 
advantage,  though  the  cfimate  eSbra.pH'""  ^'^'"''^^  *''«' 
variety.  In  our  first  oasX  tH?«  k  LT'^  conceivable 
^ay  from  New-York  Twa^sWnltnf  t.  ^'  ^^'^P'^^*  °"  «"' 

^are  was  sixteen  inches  thi^kand^th^^^  '°'  ^"  *^«  ^*^^«- 

our  return  in  April  it  was  stin  .^m      i?""^?  wasintense.     On 

-f  May  it  rained  hSy  t^^^^^^^^^     ^"^^ng  the  greater  part 
weather  between.     In  "unp  tL    i      ^^'^  intervals  of  fine 
tied,  but  the  hea  wiexeeSive    in '^'/PPr^'*  ™<^^c  «et. 
on  the  feelings,  tho^Mhe  ther^^^^^^^^       '"      """'  '*'  "^''* 
greater  heat  than  90"  iVthe  shlde      T  '♦k""''^'  '"^^^^^^d  a 
was  often  110-.     The  suddennet  of  th"  ^''k  '""'  l^^^^^r,  it 
to  cold,  and  vice  versa,  were  verv  trLl     *'''?" ^^i  ^'•*'™  ^^at 
counted  lo  us  for  the  cornlaiSS   ?'  ^"'*  ^efficiently  ac 
variableness  of  the  dim™?    s%^  >      by  strangers  as  to  the 
sional  excursions,  and  of  thJ«  T       ^7^'  favourable  to  occa- 

Tlie  voyase  from  Phi  5  ,  \,'^«^^y  availed  myself. 
I)elaware,\f  JS  Sdt t d  .S^er?™-^^^^^^^         the 
same  route,  is  extremely  at^ableF      ™  u'^'"^^  "^^  ^he 

Chri«t.nno'^,„u.-{.  "/^feated  on  a  smaller  strfinm  ooiuj  .u. 
n„,  TTiiiuii  wuias  down  bv  a  fu^m^^*-  '~\"'   ""''"  '"« 

"  oy  a  serpentme  line  into  the 


438 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


Delaware,  but  is  navigable  up  to  the  town,  the  point  of  eift 
trance  to  the  smaUer  stream  being  indicated  by  a  lighthouse. 
The  town  lies  on  an  elevated  ridge  of  land  between  the 
streams  of  the  Christiana  and  the  Brandy  wine,  and  com- 
mands,  from  its  elevated  position,  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding  country.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  little  State  of  Del- 
aware, the   smallest  in  the  Union  excepting  only  Rhode 

The  first  settlers  here  were  Swedes  and  Danes,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  celebrated  Gustavus  Adolphus,  kine  of  Swe- 
den, about  1627.  In  1655  they  fell  under  the  authority  of 
the  Dutch,  and  were  by  them  united  to  their  settlement  of 

T  r«^i"®*®  ™'  ""**®'  ^^^  ^^^^  ®^  **»«  New  Netherlands. 
In  1664  the  whole  was  conquered  by  the  British,  and  grant- 
ed by  Charles  the  Second  to  his  brother  James,  duke  of 
York,  who  in  1682  conveyed  the  Delaware  settlements  to 
Wilham  Penn.  In  1776,  when  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence was  proclaimed  in  Philadelphia,  a  convention  of 
representatives,  chosen  for  the  purpose,  formed  a  constitu- 
tion,  and  It  became  a  free  and  independent  state,  under  the 
name  of  Delaware,  a  name  originally  derived  from  that  of 
A-ord  De  la  Warr,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Virginia, 
whose  name  is  thus  borne  by  the  state,  the  river,  and  the 
bay.  The  whole  length  of  the  state  from  north  to  south 
IS  only  90  miles,  and  its  breadth  from  east  to  west  only  25. 

It  IS  dmded  into  three  counties,  Kent,  Nev.  castle,  and 
fnal'ol^^  contained,  by  the  census  of  1830,  a  population 
Qt  76,739  souls,  of  which  there  were  57,601  whites,  15,855 
free  coloured  persons,  and  3292  slaves.  The  principal  pro- 
ductions of  tne  state  are  grain  and  cattle,  for  which  its  gin- 
«rally  level  and  highly  fertile  territory  is  well  adapted. 

Ihe  state  has  a  school-fund  of  170,000  dollars,  out  olf 
which  It  maintains  a  public  school  in  every  district  of  four 
mUes  square,  though  no  district  is  allowed  to  have  any 
share  of  the  fund  that  will  not  raise  by  self-taxation  a  sum 
equal  to  that  which  it  requires  from  the  state,  in  addition 
to  these,  there  are  excellent  academies  at  the  principal  towns 
^Wilmington,  Newcastle,  Newark,  Dover,  Smyrna,  Mul- 
lord,  Lewistown,  and  Georgetown. 

Small  as  this  state  is,  it  has  manifested  a  great  degree  of 
enterprise.  Besides  the  great  railroad  connecting  Phila- 
delphia and  Ba  timore,  which  runs  chiefly  through  the  State 
of  Delaware,  they  have  a  canal  called  the  Delaware  and 
i^nesapeake  Canal,  which  connects  the  two  great  bays  of  that 
name.    It  is  fourteen  miles  in  length,  sixty  feet  in  breadth. 


WILMINGTON.— LADRBL   HILL. 


488 


and  ten  m  depth,  with  a  rise  of  eight  feet  only  above  the 
tide  to  Its  summit-level.     Its  ample  dimensions  adapt  it  to  the 
passage  of  the  largest  schooners;  and  it  is  said  to  present 
the  greatest  excavation  hitherto  attempted  in  this  country 
the  drains  constructed  for  the  passage  of  the  waste  water 
being  nearly  equal  in  magnitude  to  the  largest  canal  in  New- 
u    !l^'     ^Jt  l^^  ^"^^nt'e  into  the  Delaware  Bay  is  a  spacious 
harbour  20  feet  deep  at  low  water ;  it  is  capable  of  contain- 
mg  -200  vessels  of  a  large  class,  and  affording  them  shelter 
against  the  dangers  of  the  bay  at  all  seasons  of  t^  e  year. 
1  he  work  cost  about  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars,  to- 
wards which  a  grant  of  300,000  dollars  was  made  by  Con- 
gress,  on  the  ground  of  its  being  a  grand  national  work. 

Wilmington  contains  a  population  of  about  8000  persons 
who  are  mostly  engaged  in  agriculture  or  trade.     I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  find  settled  here  an  officer  in  the  United 
btates  navy,  Captain  Gallagher,  whom  I  had  known  thirty 
years  ago  at  Norfolk,  in  Virginia,  when  he  was  sailing-mai 
ter  of  Commodore  Decatur's  frigate,  the  United  States,  and 
1  was  myself  an  officer  on  board  an  English  ship  then  lying 
in  Hampton  Roads.     He  was  snugly  brought  up  at  a  com- 
iortable  farm  which  he  caUed  "  The  Anchorage ;"  and  in 
his  personal  appearance,  manners,  and  taste,  he  constantly 
reminded  me  of  Lord  Althorp  (now  Earl  Spencer),  in  the 
delight  with  which  he  conversed  of  cattle,  stock,  and  farm- 
ing and  grazing  operations.    I  passed  some  very  agreeable 
hours  in  the  pleasant  mansion  of  my  early  friend ;  and  our 
mutual  reminiscences  were  full  of  interest,  for  he  had  seen  a 
great  deal  of  active  service,  and  had  been  in  several  sharp 
actions  in  the  American  navy  with  the  British,  sometimes 
among  the  victors  and  sometimes  among  the  vanquished.     I 
delivered  a  course  of  lectures  on  Palestine  in  Wilmington, 
which  were  well  attended ;  and,  as  usual,  this  made  me  ac- 
quainted with  some  of  the  most  agreeable  families  there. 

Of  places  in  the  more  immediate  vicinity  of  Philadelphia, 
the  cemetery  at  Laurel  Hill  holds  a  conspicuous  place. 
The  conviction  is  spreading  far  and  wide,  that  the  dead 
ought  no  longer  to  be  buried  in  the  midst  of  populous  cities, 
but  that  portions  of  ground  should  be  set  apart  for  that  pur- 
pose, remote  from  the  habitations  of  the  living.  The  beau- 
tiful cenietery  of  Pdre  la  Chaise  at  Paris,  if  not  among  the 
earliest,  is  at  least  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  how  much 
beauty,  taste,  and  convenience  may  be  united  in  such  estab- 
'lishments.  The  larger  towns  of  England  are  fast  following 
that  example:   and  in  America  **- —  —  —  '• 

37 


thp.v 
— ^ 


arP     trrta/iinrr     in 

— —-"a   iii 


fii*. 


484 


rSNNSYLTAiriA. 


same  path.  At  Boston,  Mount  Auburn  is  said  to  be  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  cemeteries  in  the  country ;  at  Baltimore 
an  exceedmgly  picturesque  spot  has  been  recently  purchased 
for  this  purpose ;  and  at  Philadelphia,  Laurel  Hill  has  been 
lor  two  years  enclosed. 

It  is  situated  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Schuylkill,  at  a 
distance  of  four  miles  from  Philadelphia,  in  a  northwestern 
direction  beyond  the  Fair  Mount  Waterworks.  The  space 
^  enclosed  is  about  twenty  acres,  of  which  the  surface  is  suffi- 
ciently  varied  to  admit  of  picturesque  grouping  in  the  tombs 
and  trees,  the  greatest  elevation  being  about  100  feet  above 
high-water  mark.  The  entrance  is  through  a  gateway,  in 
the  centre  of  a  long  Doric  colonnade  of  216  feet  front,  and 
Ml  a  pure  and  chaste  style. 

On  each  side  the  gateway  are  lodges  for  the  gravedigirer 
and  gardener.  Within  is  a  handsome  cottage-residence  for 
the  superintendent,  a  Gothic  chapel  for  the  funeral  service 
ot  the  dead,  a  house  for  the  accommodation  of  persons  at- 
tending  the  funerals,  and  stabling  for  forty  carriages,  with  a 
p-eenhouse,  intended  to  be  used  as  a  shelter  for  the  delicate 
plants  of  summer  placed  about  the  grounds,  but  requirijur 
to  be  kept  under  cover  during  the  winter.  Several  old 
trees  existed  on  the  ground  before  it  was  enclosed  :  and  to 
these  have  since  been  added  upward  of  1000  ornamental 
trees  and  shrubs,  which  will  every  year  be  increased. 

fTu®  i^°J^  »^!?P®^  **°^"  **"  ***e  west  towards  the  banks 
ot  the  Schuylkill,  the  stream  of  which  flows  by  it  to  the 
south  ;  and  as  within  the  enclosed  area  are  craggy  rock  and 
slopmg  lawn,  with  a  finely  undulated  surface,  nothing  is 
wanted  but  time,  and  tasteful  disposition  of  the  grounds  and 
monuments,  to  make  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  near 
the  city.  *^ 

The  Inclined  Plane  is  another  of  the  objects  in  the  neieh- 
bourhood  worth  visiting.     It  is  situated  on  the  western  bank 
of  the  Schuylkill,  at  a  distance  of  about  three  miles  from 
ttie  city  in  a  northwest  direction,  and  forms  part  of  the  Great 
Western  railroad  leading  from  Philadelphia  to  Columbia. 
Un  passing  the  bridge  across  the  Schuylkill,  which  is  900  feet 
in  length,  covered  with  a  roof,  and  enclosed  on  both  sides 
so  as  to  furnish  a  complete  shelter  from  sun  and  rain,  the 
Inclined  Plane  rises  from  the  western  bank  of  the  river  in 
an  angle  of  elevation  which  may  be  inferred  from  the  length 
of  the  plane,  which  is  2700  feet,  and  the  perpendicular  height 
of  its  termination,  which  is  180  feet.     At  the  summit  of  the 
Plane  are  stationary  engines,  by  which  the  trains  of  cms  are 


BXCURSrONS.— NATIONAL  MANNERB. 


4M 


and 


drawn  up,  and  the  greatest  safety  is  secured.     The  view  of 
the  upper  portion  of  the  Schuylkill  from  hence  is  beautifully 
picturesque:   and  the  whole  of  the  surrounding  country, 
clothed  in  the  exuberant  foliage  of  the  month  of  June,  ex- 
liibits  the  highest  degree  of  luxuriant  fertility, 
♦u    o  V^"m?m  °^  Manayunk,  at  a  distance  of  seven  miles  ud 
the  Schuylkill,  is  another  beautiful  spot  for  an  excursion ;  the 
whole  of  the  way  up  the  river,  from  Fair  Mount  to  the  vil. 
lage,  being  characterized  by  the  softest  and  most  exquisite 
rural  scenery,  and  the  village  itself  being  an  interesting  por- 
tion  of  the  picture.  °  ^ 

Up  the  Delaware  to  the  towns  of  Burlington,  Bristol,  and 
Bordentown,  the  seat  of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  is  another  in- 
teresting  trip ;  and,  indeed,  in  every  direction  around  PhUa- 
deiphia,  the  lover  of  the  picturesque  and  the  beautiful  wiU 
find  abundant  sources  of  pleasure. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Sr^^jXlKl^^nttr  "A'-  Louis-Outrages  attributable  to  sTavery -aZ 

iZfrDrltU^^J''^  and  Properties  of  CaZnic^dd  srw^q?.°Sic.'l  Zl& 

?S"nlffiS'ftj^e°grpr  ""'  "'*''''  Atmo^phera-Fine  VierdTe 

On  the  subject  of  national  manners,  some  public  occurren- 
ces  came  to  our  knowledge  in  Philadelphia  which  are  suffi- 
ciently  remarkable  to  deserve  a  special  record,  and  the  more 
so  as  they  happened  in  very  different  quarters  of  the  Union  : 
itotn  New-Orleans  and  Arkansas  in  the  extreme  south,  to 

^^!°?  'V^\Tu^'-^''^  ^'""^  ^'-  L°"'«  i»  the  extreme 
west,  to  Philadelphia  in  the  east,  and  Washington,  the  seat 
of  government,  in  the  centre.  To  begin  at  headquarters,  the 
foUowmg  IS  a  faithfully  abridged  report  from  the  prooeed- 
inffs  01  Coneress  on  thft  1st  nf  T,i«o   iqoq  .  ^ 


486 


I'ENNSYLVANIA. 


"INDIAN  HOSTILITY  APPROPRIATION  BILL. 

"  Mr.  Tumey  resumed  the  floor,  and  finiahed  his  speech  in  supoort  of 
the  bill.  ^^"^ 

"  Mr.  Bell  rose,  and,  having  complained  of  the  attack  of  his  colleague 
as  unprovoked  and  unexpected,  disclaimed  any  particular  ill-will  to  him 
on  the  ground  that  he  was  acting  only  as  a  conduit  for  the  concocted  and 
long  cherished  malice  of  others,  who  had  never  thought  proper  to  meet 
him  personally.  His  colleague  was  acting  as  an  instrument,  cs  a  tool, 
as  the  tool  of  tools. 

"Here  Mr.  Turney  (vtrho  sat  immediat.ly  before  Mr.  BeU)  rose,  and. 
looking  him  in  the  face,  said,  ♦  It  is  false,  it  is  false !' 

"Mr.  Bell  thereupon  struck  at  Mr.  Tumey  in  the  face  and  blows 
were  for  a  short  time  exchanged  between  them. 

"  Mr.  Turney  repeated  his  assertion  that  it  was  false,  an  I  the  attack 
was  renewed. 

"  Great  confusion  ensued.  Members  rushed  from  their  seats,  and 
cries  were  heard  for  the  '  Speaker'  and  the  •  Sergeant-at-arms !' 

"  Mr.  Duncan  said  that  such  things  must  be  tlie  consequence  of  the 
abuse  which  wafi  going  on.  One  or  two  other  members,  while  crowd- 
ing to  the  spot,  had  some  rather  .sharp  verbal  encounters. 

"  The  speaker  hastily  took  the  chair,  called  on  the  sergeant-at-arms  to 
preserve  order,  and  read  a  British  precedent  (see  Jefferson's  Manual,  p 
132),  where  Ihe  speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons  had  in  like  manner 
interposed  to  quell  a  disturbance  which  had  arisen  while  the  House  was 
in  committee  of  the  whole. 

"  Mr.  Bouldin  moved  that  the  House  adjourn.  The  motion  was  neca- 
tived  without  a  count.  "" 

"  Mr.  Pennybacker  said  that  it  was  a  farce  that  the  House  should 
nave  rules,  and  refuse  to  enfore  them.  He  then  moved  the  following 
resolution :  " 

"  The  Hon.  H.  L.  Turney  and  the  Hon.  John  Bell  having  violated  the 
privileges  of  this  House  by  assaulting  each  other  in  the  House  while 
sitting.  It  IS  therefore 

"  Resolved,  that  the  said  H.  L.  Tumey  and  John  Bell  do  apologize  to 
the  House  for  violating  its  privileges  and  offending  its  dignity." 

"  Mr.  Bell  then  rose,  and  said  he  had  been  ready  at  any  moment  to 
acknowledge  that  he  had  violated  the  order  of  the  House.  He,  howev- 
er, appealed  to  the  older  members  of  the  House  to  say  whether  it  had 
been  his  habit  to  use  unparliamentary  language  in  that  House.  He 
regretted  extremely  that  he  had  violated  the  decoram  and  offended 
against  the  dignity  of  the  House. 

"Mr.  Turney  followed,  but  in  a  tone  so  low  that  but  little  of  what  he 
said  could  be  heard.  He  was  understood  to  say  that  he  had  no  inten- 
tion to  insult  the  House  or  to  violate  its  rules. 

"  The  resolution  was  then  laid  on  the  table,  and  the  House  went  back 
into  committee  of  the  whole. 

These  were  the  facts  of  the  aase,  about  which  there 
seemed  no  dispute.  The  opinions  entertained  of  the  con- 
duct of  the  members  partook  as  of  the  spirit  of  party  ;  but 
in  the  greatest  number  of  instances  in  which  the  editors  of 
the  public  journals  expressed  an  opinion  on  the  subject  (for 
some  were  silent),  that  opinion  was  condemnatory  of  both 
the  offending  parties.  The  following  example  may  suffice. 
The  Pennsylvania  Herald  says, 


FRACAS   IK   CONOnBSS. 


437 


the  necessary  consequence  of  this  is  personal  violence--fo/onf  u  n^ 
less  becoming  the  place  than  the  other  "  '^'O'ence-for  one  is  not 

The  other  papers  of  Philadelphia  equally  condemned  the 
conduct  of  both  members;  and  the  general  sentSt  of 
the  press  Northern  and  Southern,  seemed  to  run  in  this  cur- 
rent,  while  the  New-York  Ga^ette  thought  nothing  short  of 
the  expulsion  of  both  should  satisfy  the  public.     It  says  • 

expelled,  we  may  just  as  well  abolish  our  form  of  /oveVn^^^^^^  fi  «t  „. 
Ijft  :«l  u  '-  "«'i""^' Legislature  cannot  even  "reveS  i'SmS™  from 
actual  bruismg  matches  on  the  floor  of  the  House  while  it  SiSaS 
session^ there  .s  l.ttle  hope  of  going  on  with  civil  grerament  any  W 
ger.  We  care  not  for  the  character  of  Mr  Bell  wp  oarp  nn»  f<,,  k-*^  ^ 
it.cs-for  both  we  have  the  highest  respect  We  ca?e  not  ^Jr'S^e^^^^^^ 
cation-and  we  know  it  to  have  been  {he  most  gross  and  the  most  waS' 
ton-we  care  for  none  of  these  considerations.  *  The  outraueXuld  £ 

K  Hi'^Pt'^l' '"•*  ry  "«''*«'  retribution  w"lTsgracethS 
Tetves.  "         ^*  ^^^^^^  "  *^'''  '*°  ™«™''"«  have  disgrac^ed  them! 

Neither  of  thesb  members,  hov^rever,  will  lose  their  seats 
m  Congress  from  the  conduc:  here  described,  nor  much  of 
the  consideration,  if  any,  of  their  respective  political  par- 
ties  ;  because  in  this,  as  in  the  late  duel  case,  party  politic, 
will  cover  the  misconduct  of  each,  as  with  an  ample  robe 
JLn'       ^\'^^]\^^f^<^^-     It  is  this,  indeed,  which,  more 
than  any  other  influence,  as  far  as  I  have  yet  been  able  to 
discover,  so  blinds  the  judgment  and  perverts  the  under- 
standmg  as  to  make  even  intelligent  men  unable  or  unwiU- 
mg  to  perceive  anything  right  in  the  r  political  opponents, 
or  anythmg  wrong  in  their  political  friends,  so  that  neither 
are  to  be  trusted  to  pass  judgment  on  the  other. 

About  the  period  of  this  Washington  affray  in  Congress, 
the  following  appeared  in  the  Philadelphia  Sentinel : 

"Justification  of-  MuRDBR.-Our  reader,  cannot  have  forffotten  the 
outrageous  murder  that  was  committed  in  the  House  of  Rfpresenta! 
tives  of  Arkansas  last  winter,  by  Mr.  Wilson,  the  8peaker"X  caiS 
down  from  his  chair,  drew  a  bowie-knife,  and  slew  a  Major  AnthonT 
The  act  not  only  stamped  Wilson  as  a  murderer  and  t.,7/™„,  who  neS 
Sf  *V^^  laws  of  God  nor  man,  but  it  cast  a  deep  Sn'upjj  Znt 
tional  character  by  its  horrid  barbarity;  and  being  done  at  the  tima 
and  in  the  place  it  was,  and  by  one  who  had  been  chosen  m  the  00^ 
duig  officer  of  a  bodv  which  was  fii.Hn.r  ♦«  «,oi.-  i„":_  ".  .A" ®J!'^®*': 

. _  ,„  ,,,,,^^  iarro  iif  ;;ua;rui  and 


488 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


restrain  the  savajfe  propensities  of  man,  ai  ,1  to  protect  his  person  and 
property  froMi  violence.  Viewine  the  acl  with  the  horror  which  it  nat- 
ural y  excited,  what  will  our  readers  <.«y,  and  what  will  the  civilized 
world  say,  on  reading  the  following  notice  of  Wilson's  acquittal  1 
•«.„?^K''"r  "«'■"■  i'*^-Thf  trial  of  John  Wilson,  wfio,  it  mar  be 
remembereti,  officiated  as  speaker  of  the  Arkansas  House  of  Renre- 
sentatiyes  during  the  last  legislative  sesMion  of  that  stale,  mid  who  on 
a  certain  occasion,  walked  down  from  his  chair  and  slew  Major  T  T 
Anthony  with  a  bowie-knife  on  the  floor  of  the  Hoime,  took  place  a 

tl  TJ^^""-  /-f  "V^'^^  ?/  V^"  '"7  **'•  '^"' ^'^'y "/ '»«'-^«-.  *«^ 

excusable  honiictdey— Louuville  Juumal.  a      3  j 

Notwithstanding,  however,  the  strong  expressions  of  con- 
demnation used  by  the  newspapers  near  the  scene  of  action, 
the  acquittal  of  the  speaker  of  the  Arkansas  Legislature  ex- 
cited no  more  sensation  among  the  community  at  Philadel- 
phia than  the  first  annoimcement  of  the  fact  did  at  New- 
York,  where  I  was  staying  when  it  occurred.  The  truth  is 
the  American  public  generally  are  not  sensibly  alive  to 
these  evils,  and  therefore  manifest  but  little  indignation  at 
their  occurrence,  or  desire  to  effect  their  removal ;  and,  un- 
til that  is  the  case,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  they  will  continue 
The  following  articles  are  from  the  Philadelphia  papers  of 
May,  under  the  heads  of  intelligence  from  the  South  and 
West. 

"  New-Orlkans,  May  1,  1838.— Never  was  a  city  more  infested  bv 
robbers,  cutthroats,  and  incendiaries,  than  New-Orleans  at  this  time 
The  villains  of  all  the  world  appear  to  have  congregated  here,  and  to 
carry  on  their  works  of  infamy  with  the  greatest  impunity 

"  About  one  o'clock  this  morning  the  cabin  of  the  schooner  Louisiana 
Captain  Auld,  ready  to  sail  for  Texas,  was  entered  by  a  white  villain  •' 
he  was  discovered  before  he  had  succeeded  in  stealing  any  article,  and 
was  pursued  bv  the  mate  to  the  deck  of  the  vessel ;  here  a  scuffle  en- 

^l' Ki!  J  .u"  *"®  'H™^"  ^^^"^  *  *'•'■'*'  ^^^  severely,  if  not  dangerously, 
stabbed  the  mate  m  several  places,  and  made  his  escape."— CM^Wer 

St.  Louis,  May  1.— The  particulars  of  the  drowning  of  a  neero 
named  Tom,  cook  on  board  the  steamboat  Pawnee  on  her  passage  uo 
from  New-Orleans  to  this  pl^ce,  are  as  near  the  facts  as  we  have  been 
able  to  gather  them.  On  Friday  night,  about  10  o'clock,  a  deaf  and  " 
dumb  German  girl  was  found  in  the  storeroom  with  Tom.  The  door 
was  locked,  and  at  first  Tom  denied  she  was  there.  The  eirl's  father 
came,  Tom  unlocked  the  door,  and  the  girl  was  found  secreted  in  the 
room  behind  a  barrel.  Tom  was  accused  of  having  used  violence  to 
the  girl,  but  how  she  came  there  did  not  very  clearly  aoDear     The  pan. 

lnm.T  "°*  i"'"°Tfu^  °/  \^'"  '^"""^  '^«  "'ght.  The  next  mornS 
some  four  or  five  of  the  deck  passengers  spoke  to  the  captain  about  it  • 
this  was  near  breakfast-time.  He  heard  their  statements,  and  informed 
them  that  the  negro  should  be  safely  kept  until  they  reached  St.  Louis 
when  the  mi»tter  should  be  examined,  and  if  guilty,  he  should  be  punish' 
Icfvf^'  ^"^}^%  matter  seemed  to  end  ;  the  captain,  after  break- 
fast,  returned  on  deck,  passed  the  cook's  room,  and  returned  up  to  his 
own  room;  immediately  after  he  left  the  deck,  a  number  of  the  deck 
passengers  rushed  upon  the  negro,  bound  his  arms  behind  his  back,  and 
earned  him  forward  to  the  bow  of  the  boat.    A  voice  cried  out, '  Throw 


EFFECTS   OF   81AVERT. 


•199 


Several  men  on  shore  see  inj  IheZ^i  ff '"^•'  '*"l  *"*"  «f  1^'berty. 
•hore  in  a  yawl,  and  arnveTneaniXLc  u^  HT^'''^}  ^""'^^^  <■'««> 
he  sunk  for  the  last  time.  S  wSle  iceLf  o  '.  ""'^^"'^  '*'«  '  «'"  «■ 
•nff  him  overboard  scarcely  occutll  H  vln  n.^    ?^  '^'''^  ^""  »'"•  "'row- 

preaent  misery  and  de^  /.Z  Wh  '"""'°°°m"""  ""''' 
the  best  law,  and  nr  M'Z'otl^r^']'"-  "  "'"  ''"="""• 
wealth  will  iave  .  „,„  Lr  ,1°  ,  T'^i''""'"  "  "^"="'  »f 
himself  if  he  but  cnc  sf",  n  ,h  "' .!'».  "PPli-^a'™  to 
those  to  who,,,  hL  e?^,    ,  „     ?        ■  ™""='"'«  feelings  of 

There  are  so2,  Met     v  ,o  oome°'l'';;.""\''''  ""P"'  '"■lo- 
ners in  America  is  in  „  7  ^  """  ""'  »""«  "f  man- 

ence  of  slave  y%hXluomfrb:rr"'''''  '^'"'  ""=  "-'■ 

its  direct  and  almost  twtabec„nset7/ee''Tr''  '"/" 
hesitated  to  exoresa  thia  «r.,„-  "-""^^Huence.     I  have  often 

unfounded  and  fl  -con^dered  h?;  ^''\i'  '^"^^  ^^^  thought 
Philadelphia  for  May  flsSS  thV"  '^^^  ^"^^?'  Ledger  of 
avowed  by  a  native-born'  S"  T^  °P'"'^»  '«  ^^J^ly 
given  with'saC    S  al?oTC :''""'  ^"'  ™^^  ^'^"^  ^^ 

ar;  S'SrS  ZLITAm'ITZ'S'  •^"•i  .  M-^^^^'  however. 
^reaseS -Mobile  ExamineTll^tr      ^  "^""""^  '^^  '''^P  ^as  not  in-' 

are  an?ord/'kt":^tJ-^^^^^  «--.    the  W, 

states  in  one  year  thaSfn  Sutaly  iJfive  uS^'"  '^'  flaveholdm^ 
'a"fr  ,8  five  times  greater  than  the  whitl?,^^/*!^  Population  of  thi 
And  these  Southern  murders  are  al  sSn^i  PT^*"^'""  ^'^  '''^  '"o^er. 
lan  by  a  dastardly  spirit.  for?heX?of  t^?  ^h-  f  ^"^^'='"'*  ««  the  Ital- 
more  nor  less  than  the  infamous^ri/.l  r  if  r'''''t"5^«"''»'  >«  nothing 
the  Southern  people  are  ^tSlv  wntt  /h  ^"''^-  ^^'^  '«  ""^  ^ecausf 
are  precisely  '^hat  all  peo'pVe  wo^ui7bTw,^^^^^  ^"'"-^  P'^'^P'^-  They 
permitted  their  laws  to  sleep  "  ''^^  ^^™^  "istitutions  who 

f«;;rn'atiSs"o7t^^^^^^^^ 

of  It  in  Me  a«,/rac«  as  an  insUtution  in  1  *'*""''  ""t  "&ht  to  speak 
the  ferocity  which  chaJac  Ses  TeSo  hanVth«V^/^  ^^"  *"«*^'^ha7 
m  slavery.     When  a  body  of  mpn  %Z  ^®  Southwest  originates 

trample  upon  the  rights  of^anotherbofW  ^f'^^'o'^ed  from  boyhood  to 
the  utmost  respect  for  the  Sh ts  of  S  ^f,,*"^""?'  ^'^P^^'  f™"'  then, 
fierce  passions  will  be  let  lifsl  anS  if  nm  J'-''  ^  governing  slaves, 
they  will  not  be  towards  equals'    An'othl    ^"^^^^  '"^^"^s  inferiors 

wantQ«"°-i'»»-4;-,-    f  cijudis.     Another  conaennpn^a  ^r  d .i 

■■  -nt  o.  .....„,,„n ;  fcr  we  cauuot  expect  to  find  schooiramonTa  ^^^ 


k. 


440 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


Ing  population,  thinly  scattered  over  a  large  surface.  How  can  a  school 
for  white  children  exist  in  the  country  of  Louisiana  or  Mississippi,  when 
each  white  family  is  five  or  ten  miles  distant  from  any  other  white 
family  1 

"  In  the  Spanish  and  French  colonies  slavery  was  always  less  bur- 
densome, and  the  white  population  more  orderly,  than  in  the  British, 
because  controlled  by  a  strong  government  in  the  mother  country.  Be- 
sides this,  notwithstanding  all  that  English  historians  have  said  about 
Spanish  cruelty  to  the  lndia<is  and  negroes,  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  have 
invariably  been  the  most  crue:  of  ail  b^uropeans  to  foreign  enemies  or 
subjects.  For  the  first  of  these  reasons,  slavery  has  always  been  worse 
in  the  United  States  than  even  in  the  British  colonies.  Thus  we  find 
the  An^Io-Saxon  race,  the  most  energetic  and  the  most  tyrannical  of  all, 
placed  m  the  South  in  the  position  of  masters  over  slaves,  with  no  strong 
government  to  control  them ;  and  we  consequently  find  it,  as  we  should 
find  it  at  the  free  North  or  the  West  under  similar  circumstances,  in  a 
state  of  ferocious  insubordination. 

"  What  is  the  remedy !  A  despotism  that  would  govern  all  with  a 
strong  hand,  or  a  determination  of  the  iriajority  to  enforce  the  laws. 
Napoleon  cleared  Italy  of  assassins  by  salutary  severity,  for  he  very 
sagaciously  thought  that  hanging  them  by  dozens  would  save  honest 
people  by  thousands.  But,  as  the  South  are  not  yet  prepared  for  des- 
potism, we  suggest  to  all  of  its  considerate  citizens  the  necessity  of  uni- 
ting in  a  determination  to  enforce  the  laws.  Therefore,  with  a  single 
eye  to  their  own  good,  wp  ask  the  Southern  people  to  lay  aside  their 
rifles,  pistols,  and  stilettoes,  to  rely  for  security  upon  laws,  and  to  punish 
unrelentingly  every  man  who  violates  them.  They  talk  of  honour,  cour- 
age, and  patriotism.  True  honour  is  obedience  to  the  laws.  True  cour- 
age is  to  fight  only  for  the  community.  True  patriotism  is  to  render 
their  country  the  wxtde  of  virtue,  plenty,  peace,  and  security." 

The  paper  from  which  the  above  is  taken  circulates  up- 
ward of  30,000  copies  daily,  bein-g  what  is  called  a  penny 
paper,  but  costing  only  one  cent,  or  about  a  halfpenny  per 
number  ;  and  its  editors  are  intelligent,  fearless  writers, 
holding  a  strict  neutrality  in  party  politics,  and  directing 
their  attention  chiefly  to  the  reformation  of  social  and  moral 
disorders :  such  sentiments  as  these,  therefore,  so  well  ex- 
pressed and  so  widely  circulated,  cannot  fail  to  make  an 
?mpression  on  the  public  mind. 

The  bench,  too,  has  lent  its  powerful  aid  to  that  of  the 
press,  in  stamping  with  deserved  opprobrium  this  general 
disregard  to  the  authority  of  the  law,  which  seems  to  be  so 
widely  spread  over  every  part  of  the  Union,  and  to  evince 
itself  in  such  a  variety  of  forms;  and  the  charges  of  the 
judges,  first»  pronounced  from  the  bench,  and  then  repented 
by  a  thousand  newspapers  of  every  shade  of  politics,  must 
bring  the  subject  home  to  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  re- 
flecting part  of  the  community.  The  following  is  one  ex- 
ample out  of  many,  quoted  from  the  Philadelphia  Sentinel 
of  the  beginning  of  June : 


"  The  Li.1 


-Jn/liTO  Vnv  VinWinrr  a  onnrt  at  Mnntornrn«"'"'"»'>iinfw 


CHARGE   OF   A   JUDGE. 


441 


?aTof^t'mot5;^his1rtrZHh  ^r^^-^^^o^P^-^  or  the  late  out- 
the  offiLrs  whose  dutv  f  i«  ♦«*  '^'«P°«"'?n  [hat  induces  resistance  to 

ZSJ    T^  ^'''  ^'^'  •"  ^ff^'^'-  hut  avowals  that  theTw7shall  be  sSs" 

" '  The  general  disposition  ^jvinced  in  the  case  which  has  callprl  fowl, 
these  remarks,  to  resist,  or,  at  least,  not  to  suppm  wheTasSd  tS 
public  officers  m  their  attempts  to  preserve  the  public  peace  ?s  not'  t^' 
least  alarming  evidence  of  the  diseased  state  of  the  puE  mind  Th^ 
same  disposition  that  induces  resistance  to  the  officers  whosTdntv  H^. 
to  execute  the  law,  will  incite  the  same  dispositTn  of  p^Jsons  K^ 
or  punish  th^udg  on  the  bench  who  ma/dare  to  do'h'du  y  in  del 


an 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


ance  of  popular  excitement.    It  appears  to  me  that  there  is  but  a  step 
irom  the  one  to  the  other,  and  that  jhat  step  may  be  fatal  to  liberty !' " 

The  agitation  at  Boston  about  the  same  period  as  this 
outbreak  at  Philadelphia  originated  in  the  same  spirit  of 
hatred  to  the  abolitionists.     It  appears  that  a  new  place  of 
worship  was  to  be  opened  in  Boston,  in  which  there  was  to 
be  no  formal  separation  of  the  Avhite  and  coloured  worship- 
pers who  might  frequent  it.     Throughout  the  United  States, 
such  IS  the  strong  prejudice  against  the  coloured  race,  that 
these  are  made  to  sit  in  a  gallery  by  themselves,  entirely 
apart   from  the  whites;   and  when  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  is  administered  to  th«n,  it  is  done  at  a  separ- 
ate table.     Though  this  is  the  case  -generally,  there  are  oc- 
casional exceptions  to  the  rule.     In  New- York,  for  instance, 
at  the  Tabernacle,  the  Chatham-street  Chapel,  and  one  or 
two  others,  this  distinction  and  separation  is  not  enforced ; 
but,  for  this  very  reason,  no  white  persons  except  aboli- 
tionists attend  these  places  of  worship.     At  Boston,  how- 
ever,  the  enemies  of  abolition  determined,  if  possible,  to  pre- 
vent the  opening  of  this  new  church,  or,  if  opened,  resolved 
on  pulling  or  burning  it  down.     But  the  previous  experi- 
ence of  the  Boston  community  had  made  them  more  cau- 
tious than  their  brethren  in  Philadelphia ;  and,  by  a  timely 
application  to  the  proper  authorities,  they  had  an  armed 
body  of  militia  in  readiness  on  the  spot,  and  the  '--tended 
perpetrators  of  the  outrage  were  awed  from  their  design. 

The  other  incident  which  was  made  public  in  the  news- 
papers,  as  a  trait  of  American  manners  in  the  sober  and 
orderly  North,  is  not  of  so  serious  a  nature  as  any  of  the 
preceding ;  but  it  is  even  niore  difficult  to  account  for,  as 
there  is  nothing  of  politics,  or  religion,  or  slavery  that 
can  enter  into  it  in  the  slightest  degree ;  and  to  attribute  it 
to  that  sort  of  animal  excitement  which  exuberant  spirits 
often  create  in  the  lower  orders  of  the  Irish,  till  it  makes 
them  run  riot  with  fun,  would  be  wholly  inconsistent  with 
the  general  notion  of  starched  and  primitive  demeanour 
which  the  people  of  Massachusetts  especially  have  the  rep- 
utation of  retaining  from  their  puritan  and  pilgrim  ancestors. 
Whatever  be  the  causes,  here  are  the  facts,  as  taken  from 
the  Philadelphia  Inquirer  of  the  5th  of  June,  in  quoting  two 
papers  from  the  North :  > 

"  Weddino  Scenes.— The  Northampton  Courier  of  a  late  date  savs 

Quite  a  scene  of  disorder,  we  are  told,  occurred  at  the  c€lebr'»ion  of 

the  nuptial  ceremonies  at  the  Episcopal  Church,  on  the  week  "before 

last,  m  this  town.    An  immense  throng  of  people,  of  both  sexes,  gathered 


# 


OTACKE»T.-rec»LIAIl  CVSTOMS.  443 

was  aa  admonition.' "  ^-ompnsing  ladies'  dresses  used  up 

bursting  open  the  doorrand  takiS  tW^  'l!'!!"'''^''  ^ot  content  S 
before  the  bridal  party  appeared  fhil^''"-*'^  ^^«'°'"'"  "early  two  hJLrs 
paint  from  the  g&Iery.  SrfW,  n^  ?""^''  "'^  *»  ^n^'^^  «oat  of Sh 
them  or  their  sponsors  S  the  cost  if  '»?f  ?^  f^^  «nd  chal  ys  to 
dens  and  vestry.  We  wi«h  »»  *  ^^  *'"'®  'ea^  and  oil  to  the  war 
also  Of  the  dece^nt  pl^Se^Tf  f^Si^  dSi'^f. »°  add/^etdTeY^ 

neJs  rj  L\Sty -nt^L'^lrf  "^  ^°.  ^^«  «^^^^  °f  ™an. 
and  institutions  for  pr™mS,'^t7^  ^"  '^^  «d"««tioa 
perhaps,  no  country  KewlrlHl".  ^"^^^^^g^^  there  is, 
as  to  the  virtues  ofCack  rTedtlnl  '' '°  ™""^  ^^^"«i°n 
tunes  are  made  in  thTshor^est  sZee  ofT  "\^''''  ^°'- 
invent  a  new  pill  or  new  no  inn  •  J  u™^  ^^  ™^n  ^^o 
twenty  strikir^examDlp!^/.t"'  1"^  ^^^^^  «'«  at  least 

alonef  thoug^the?eTre  upUid  i?  400"'^  f  ^^^^«^«^Phi^ 
and  practising  physicians  Ce      I„  X  ^"^"'^^  ^d"<^-ted 
newspapers,  daily  and  weeklv  n„Ki"  I  ^  '     ^"  "'^  twenty 
than  half  th;  advJrtlemrnts  ar^  of        ',?  "      "  ^'^^^  ™o'e 
pages  being  often  filled  ,^^^^^  Z  f  "^"^"'^  'n^^icines ;  whole 
tenders,  ea^ch  assumLg  S  ow'  ""rT"™'"^^  °^^'^«*  P^«- 
a  cure  for  every  d"^fse  wX wl    u  !u^  i'"^  Panacea,  and 
be  afflicted.     l/aTmaL  wL  n        '^^  ^""^^"  ^^^^  -^«n 
share,  as  will  be  s™enlor^i,^7„^r'^^^^ 
cut  out  from  a  Philadelp^rpa^t  oSn^f  1^^^^^^^^^^ 

^^^^-^^o^^^^^^  respectfully  begs 

Thirtee/th8treetrwhe?eshr;ilte"hlnv^»^'l^^  «"^  Twelfth  L„^' 
tive  to  journeys,  lawsuits,  mSes  d?la^,  in ''^"^  '"•  'J''^^''^"'  rela- 
ful  busmess,  sickness  and  death."  '  '°^"^^'  ^^"'^'  »nd  all  law- 

Among  the  minor  peculiarities  of  Ph.io^^i  u- 
the  practice  of  tying  a  small  hi n/  ^^^^^^^Phia,  we  noticed 
to  the  handle  oFthe  front  1"^  ^ 

houses  were  in  mourninr  Itt^u^^"'  '^"  ^"™^^^«  ^^  the 
have  lost  any  mem^  thei^ flmirbH  "I?  ^'^^^^  "^« 
ceive  visits  of  ceremonv  or  Z,  •  ^  ?/  ^^^*^  "**t  to  re- 
mourning,  or  to  Jo"m  ^to  LT  ".^  ^^"'  ""^'^^  they  are  in 
and  this  Custom  oThanU/o^thP  """^  '^  V""^^  P^"°<*  J 
ful,  as  an  indicationTToithfcro^:  t^Jl^S^  H  - 
cxuony  ihat  iite  parties  will  not  see  com'paiT^r  '""'  "'  ''''" 


n 


'^ 


444 


PBNNSYLVANIA. 


It  would  be  a  great  improvement  if  this  custom  could  be 
carried  a  single  step  farther,  namely,  by  families  hanging 
out  at  the  door  a  streamer  of  white,  or  red,  or  any  other  col- 
our, to  denote  that  they  were  not  at  horae,  or  not  accessi- 
ble to  visiters,  as  this  would  save  many  an  unnecessary 
knock  and  ring,  many  a  weary  trudging  up  and  down  stairs 
to  the  servants,  and  many  a  mortification  at  having  knock- 
ed, and  rung,  and  called  in  vain.  Here  at  Philadelphia,  as 
at  New- York  and  Baltimore,  scarcely  any  of  the  residents 
put  their  addresses  on  their  cards ;  so  that,  what  with  the 
difficulty  of  hunting  them  out  in  the  Directory  or  elsewhere, 
and  the  number  of  visits  made  to  persons  who  are  either  not 
at  home  or  too  much  engaged  to  see  visiters,  the  days  and 
hours  lost  in  the  year  are  really  such  a  tax  upon  strangers  as 
to  call  loudly  for  reform. 

The  air  of  tranquillity  which  reigns  through  the  streets 
of  Philadelphia,  and  which,  next  to  the  perfect  symmetry 
and  shady  borders  of  its  tree-fringed  streets,  is  its  most  stri- 
king characteristic,  is  never  disturbed  by  the  heavy  rumbling 
wagons  which  shake  the  foundations  of  an  English  town, 
nor  by  the  rattling  of  stage-coaches,  and  twanging  of  bugles 
and  horns,  such  as  are  heard  at  Liverpool,  Manchester,  Bir- 
mingham, and  all  the"  great  provincial  cities  at  home ;  the 
reason  of  this  being,  that  nearly  all  the  inlets  and  outlets  of 
Philadelphia  are  by  steamboat  and  railroad. 

Neither  are  there  heard  those  vociferous  and  unintelligble 
cries  which  stun  the  ear  in  the  streets  of  London,  as  the 
abundance  and  excellence  of  the  markets  render  it  unne- 
cessary to  cry  commodities  about  the  streets.  The  only  ex- 
ception to  this  that  I  remen.Ler  is  the  musical  song  of  the 
chimney-sweep,  who  here,  as  at  New- York,  ranges  the  street 
at  certain  hours  of  the  day,  and  offers  his  services,  not  by  the 
cry  of  "  sweep  !  sweep  !"  or  "  soot-ho !"  but  by  a  kind  of 
vocal  voluntary,  without  words,  and  without  any  particular 
air,  but  a  sort  of  melodious  succession  of  monosyllabic 
vocal  sounds,  like  the  choruses  of  the  Swiss  peasants  or  the 
hunters  of  the  Alps.  This  would  be  an  improvement  worth 
introducing  into  England,  as  much  so  as  the  musical  cheers 
introduced  at  some  of  our  public  dinners,  in  lieu  of  their 
boisterous  predecessor,  the  "  hip,  hip,  hip,  hurrah." 

This  reminds  me,  by  contrast,  of  one  of  the  quietest,  most 
elegant,  and  most  agreeable  parties  at  which  I  was  present 
in  Philadelphia.  It  was  at  the  splendid  mansion  of  Mr. 
Matthew  Newkirk,  the  president  of  the  City  Temperance 
Society,  who  presided  at  the  great  festival  given  to  me  in 


Mtr- 


POLITICAL  ENTERTAlNlUBIfT.^-LECTCRKS. 


445 


the  Arch-street  theatre,  by  the  friends  of  Temperance,  on 
my  first  passing  through  Philadelphia  in  February  last 
This  party  was  assembled  in  compUment  to  the  popular  s^n- 
ator,  Henry  C  ay,  who  was  here  from  Washington  for  a  few 
days  r  and  bemg  the  Whig  candidate  for  thi  president 

^tkeTTound'hl'^'^h'"""  *^^  ^^°PP^^'  ™  -xiort'<; 
^ther  round  him  all  the  most  respectable  electors  of  the 

n«L .     "?"' '"  ''i'^'  ^  P°"''°«^'  ^"^  «^«n  ^  electioneering 
party ;  and,  accordmg  to  all  established  usaore,  it  might  havf 

N?wt- ?r*'^  *"  ^'  !  r «y  ^"d  «»  intempLitere  Mr! 
Newkirk,  however,  while  he  provided  every  luxury  and  dell 
icacy  m  food  and  refreshment  that  money  Luld  procure  or 
cuhnary  and  confectionary  skUl  prepare,  introZed  no  in- 
toxicatmg  drmks,  and  not  a  drop  of  ^ine  or  any  other 
kind  of  stimulating  beverage  was  to  be  seen. 
f,;fi'^1,?f  S'^f  ,«.^Pe"ment  of  the  kind  that  had  ever  been 
tried  m  Philadelphia ;  but,  though  a  bold,  it  was  a  noble  and 
a  most  succe^ful  one.     Every  person  present  spoke  loudly 

Zr.T  ^^  T'^}  ^°"'"^^  ^'^'^^  ^he  act  evinced  ;  and 
none  was  rnore  decided  in  its  eulogy  than  Mr.  Clay,  who, 
though  as  fond  of  conviviality  as  most  public  men  of  hS 
standing  and  popularity,  admitted  that  such  parties  as  these 
were  especially  desirable,  to  avoid  the  thoi^and  nrmeless 
mconveniences,  and  often  graver  evils,  that  spring  from  largo 
and  miscellaneous  crowds  called  together,  having  wl  pla- 
ced before  them,  of  which  some  few  are  sure  to  drink  too 
Ziy'  «n^  those  few  will  often  disturb,  the  harmony  of  the 
whole.  The  party  tetired  before  midnight,  and  the  satis! 
faction  of  all  seemed  unbroken  and  complete. 

^rfu'T/!^  ^^^i  'u  Philadelphia,  which  extended  to  eight 
weeks,  I  delivered  three  courses  of  lectures  at  the  Masonic 
Hall  and  at  the  Musical  Fund  Hall  on  Egypt  and  Pales- 
tine;   two  of  the  courses  being  in  the   e^Lg  at  eigh 

nh^^fl  l-"""*!""^  '"  '^^  afternoon  at  half  past  four,  intended 
chiefly  for  the  accommodation  of  young  students  at  the  Uni- 
yersity  and  elder  pupils  at  schools,  as  the  later  hours  were 
inconvenient  to  these.     Each  of  the  courses  was  attended 

7  7?inno^"''^^'  i»e'^^'i"g  gradually  from  500  to  up. 
ward  of  1000  in  numb* ;  and  the  satisfaction  appeared  to 
be  general  m  both  cases.  These  labours  had  the  effect  of 
bringmgme  acquainted  with  the  most  intelligent  and  agree- 
able families  of  the  city,  who  voluntarily  sought  my  acquaint- 
S  *®"dered  their  hospitalities  to  mysei  and  my 

Amoner  tllAAO  T  nan*%r\t  »nA.>.;~  f- •  ... 

g ^«.,i.,^i  I'cixaiu  iiuuj  iianung  especiaiiy  Mr* 

38 


MH 


PSNKSTLYANIA. 


i*f".?hola8  Biddle,  the  president  of  the  United  States  Bank, 
because  he  appeared  to  me  to  present,  the  most  perfect  spe- 
cimen of  an  American  gentleman  that  I  had  yet  sdc  n  ju  tha 
United  l^tates.  To  a  mind  of  great  force  and  originality  be 
added  the  advanta;;^e  of  an  excellent  educalio;) ,  hift;hly  pol- 
ished manners,  great  urbanity,  and  a  perfect  fret  <loi5fi  from  al! 
those  peculifidties  -which  more  or  less  mark  th<^  citiKefis  of 
every  class  in  this  country .  His  early  residence  m  Europe, 
and  employment  in  a  diplomatic  station,  was  n  doubt  in 
part  the  cause  of  this  exemption  from  national  characteris- 
tics ;  yet,  while  his  private  hospitaUties  were  conducted  in 
the  best  possible  European  taste,  and  in  a  style  that  the 
most  fastidious  would  admire,  his  pF?riot  =  .n,  frankness,  sim- 
plicity, and  application  to  business  wert  thoi^oughly  Amer- 
ican, and  made  him  altogether  one  of  the  most  agree'^tble,  as 
Me  h  'uiCjaostionably  one  of  the  most  accomplished,  mainbers 
of  tht,  •,:"jniti,!jnity. 

Dunnji-  my  jtny  in  Philadelphia  I  was  also  in  frequent  re- 
quest to  >«^*^fjt  Ki  various  public  meetings  for  the  promotion 
of  religkvj:?  ind  benevolent  objects ;  and  I  was  too  happy 
to  rfjnd<;jr  ihat  assistance  wherever  practicable,  although,  by 
J;>ermitting  my  zeal  to  outrun  my  strength,  I  tuffered  a  se- 
vere illness  of  a  fortnight's  confinement  to  my  loom,  which 
threw  me  back  more  than  a  month  in  time  and  strength. 
Among  these  meetings  were  several  in  connexion  with  tem- 
pertmce :  one  for  the  improvement  of  the  condition  of  sea- 
men; one  for  the  promotion  of  Sunday-school  education; 
one  for  facilitating  the  spread  of  religiotis  tracts  through  the 
empire  of  China ;  one  for  the  advocacy  of  the  Peace  So- 
ciety ;  and  several  others  of  a  more  general  nature  ;  the  ac- 
tive spu-it  of  benevolence  by  which  the  city  is  peculiarly 
characterized  evincing  itself  in  a  great  number  and  variety 
of  channels  for  the  alleviation  of  misery,  and  the  promotion 
of  happiness  at  home  and  abroad. 

Towards  the  close  of  our  stay  I  had  an  opportunity  of  at- 
tending one  of  the  chymical  classes  of  my  friend  Dr.  Mitch- 
ell, and  witnessing  there  a  most  interesting  experiment  for 
the  rendering  carbonic  acid  gas  solid,  and  for  producing  by 
it  a  degree  of  cold  extending  to  108  degrees  below  zero  on 
the  ficale  of  Fahrenheit's  thermometer.  The  materials,  first 
confined  in  a  strong  iron  receiver,  were  supercarbonate  of 
soda  and  sulphuric  acid,  in  separate  division;  ,  he  whole 
was  then  powerfully  shaken,  so  as  to  be  well  srixed  or  in- 
corporated, B.'nA  this  operation  continua'lv  ev.  '  ;ed  the  gas, 
till  the  whole  < ;  ?3el  was  filled  with  it  in  f  H  i My  condensed 
state. 


CHYMICAL  EXPERIMENT. 


447 


An  instrument,  not  unlike  a  common  tinder-box,  tut  it  in 

used  m  England,  but  about  twice  the  size,  and  with  a  smaU 

tube  or  mlct  passing  through  its  sides,  was  then  fixed  by  this 

tube  to  a  pipe  from  the  receiver.     The  inside  of  this  box 

was  so  constructed  as  to  make  the  gas  injected  into  it  fly 

round  in  a  series  of  constantly  contracting  circles,  which 

was  effected  by  projecting  pieces  of  tin  at  different  angles, 

fastened  around  the  sides  of  the  interior.     The  gas  being 

then  let  out  by  a  valve,  entered  this  box  from  the  receiver. 

making  as  loud  a  hissing  noise  as  the  escape  of  steam  bv 

the  safety-valve  of  a  large  boiler,  and  in  about  three  or  foii 

se^nds  the  emission  of  the  gas  was  stopped. 

The  box  was  then  taken  off  from  the  receiver  and  its  cover 
opened,  when  it  was  found  to  be  filled  with  a  milk-white 
substance,  in  appearance  like  snow,  but  in  consistence  like 
a  highly-wrought  froth,  approaching  to  a  light  paste.  It  was 
surrounded  with  a  thin  blue  vapour  like  smoke,  and  was  so 
intensely  cold  that  the  sensation  of  touch  to  the  fingers  was 
like  that  of  burning;  and  the  feeling fvas  more  like  that  of 
heat  than  cold.  The  slightest  particle  of  it,  dropped  on  the 
back  of  the  hand  and  suffered  to  remain  there,  occasioned  a 
blistering  of  the  skin  just  like  a  scald ;  and  some  of  the  stu- 
dents  of  the  class,  who  attempted  to  hold  it  in  their  fingers, 
were  obliged  to  let  it  drop  as  if  it  were  red-hot  iron.  , 

Some  liquid  mercury  or  quicksilver  was  then  dropped  into 
tt  mass  of  this  "  carbonic  acid  snow,"  as  it  was  called,  mixed 
with  ether,  upon  which  it  instamly  froze,  and,  being  taken 
out  m  a  solid  mass,  it  was  fpund  to  be  malleable  into  thin 
sheets  under  the  hammer  and  capable  of  being  cut  up  like 
lead  with  a  knife  or  large  scissors.  As  it  became  less  cold 
It  grew  more  brittle,  and  then,  wb-n  pressed  strongly  by  the 
thumb  or  finger  against  a  solid  substance,  it  was  found  to 
burst  under  the  pressure,  with  a  report  or  explosion  like  the 
percussion  powder. 

A  small  piece  of  this  carbonic  acid  snow  was  placed  on 
the  surface  of  water,  where  it  ran  round  by  an  apparently 
spontaneous  motion,  and  gave  out  » thin  blue  vapour  like 
smoke.  Another  pi«ce  was  placed  under  the  water  and 
kfept  beneath  it,  when  it  emitted  gas  in  an  immense  stream 
ot  aur-bubbles  rushing  from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  thus  re- 
turning, in  short,  from  its  soHd  to  its  original  gaseous  con- 
dition.  Some  of  the  snow  was  then  mingled  with  the  well- 
kno%vn  «  freezing-mixture,"  and,  by  stirring  these  both  to- 

fno.  J'l*    ^^®®  °^  "**®"^®  °°^**  ^^  produced  extending  to 
IV4  below  zero,  and  there  remaining  for  a  period  of  ten  or 


448 


PENNSYLVANIA. 


fifteen  minutes ;  though  the  weather  was  extremely  hot,  the 
thermometer  standing  at  94°  in  the  shade  in  the  coolest  parts 
of  Philadelphia,  and  being  at  least  90°  in  the  lecture.room 
itself. 

The  practical  application  of  this  discovery  to  the  propel- 
ling of  engines  in  lieu  of  steam  was  then  exhibited  to  us. 
A  model  of  an  engine  of  the  ordinary  kmd  now  in  use  for 
mines,  manufactories,  and  steamships,  was  placed  on  the 
table  before  the  lecturer.  A  metal  tube  was  then  screwed 
on  to  the  pipe  and  valve  of  the  receiver,  in  which  the  con- 
densed carbonic  acid  gas  was  contained,  and  the  other  end 
of  the  tube,  through  which  the  gas  was  to  escape  when  let 
into  it  from  the  receiver,  was  applied  to  the  wheel  of  the 
model  engine ;  the  gas  was  then  let  out,  and  the  rushing 
torrent  of  it  was  such  as  that  it  propelled  the  engine-wheel 
with  a  velocity  which  rendered  its  revolutions  invisible  from 
their  speed,  making  the  wheel  appear  stationary,  though  in 
a  trembling  or  vibratory  condition,  and  rendering  all  per- 
ception of  the  parts  «)f  the  wheel  quite  impossible  till  the 
gaseous  stream  which  gave  the  impetus  was  withdrawn. 

Dr.  Mitchell  expressed  his  belief  that  this  power  might  be 
made  to  supersede  entirely  the  use  of  steam  and  fuel  in  nav- 
igation, and  thus  overcome  the  greatest  difficulty  which  ha9 
yet  impeded  long  voyages ;  he  thought  it  might  effect  the 
same  salutary  change  in  manufactories  where  engines  ar6 
used,  so  as  to  remove  the  greatest  nuisance,  perhaps,  of  all 
manufacturing  towns,  the  immense   quantities  of   smoke 
which  darken  the  atmosphere,  and  destroy  the  cleanliness 
of  places,  persons,  raiment,  and  dwellings.     He  founded  his 
belief  on  the  expansive  power  of  this  gas  when  brought  into 
a  highly  condensed  state  such  as  we  saw  it,  and  tho  practi- 
cability of  bringing  this  power  to  act  upon  engines  of  any 
size  by  land  or  by  sea.     For  the  latter  purpose  he  suggests 
the  use  of  iron  tanks,  made  with  the  requisite  degree  of 
strength,  to  act  as  receivers ;  these,  being  fitted  to  a  ship's 
bottom,  along  the  keelson  and  the  inner  floor  of  the  hold,  as 
the  iron  water-tanks  »f  ships-of-war  are  at  present,  may  be 
placed  on  board  vessels  intending  to  be  propelled  by  en- 
gines in  such  quantities  as  the  length  of  the  voyage  may  re- 
quire ;  communications  from  these  tanks,  by  tubes  of  ade- 
quate size  and  strength,  would  then  have  to  be  made  to  the 
engines,  ^d  placed  under  the  complete  control  of  the  engi- 
neer, as  the  steam-power  is  at  present.     The  expansive 
power  of  the  condensed  gas  and  its  pressure  outward,  op 
tendency  to  escape,  being  the  same  m  its  natuie  with  steam, 


THB  VKANKUN  1N8TITDTB. 


4M 


entirely.  '  '*^  inconveniences  and  accidents, 

««  present   material,  of  .team  navigatfon      S  G™^ 

a^:j:s"rurv"eoSt„"f5Toa.4.tr«fY"^ 

§ottifat%Lra"".""'"-''-'''-^^^^^ 

„""  ,  \  ^"*  ^^  ^*  was  necessary  to  provide  for  a  Inn 

Tnt  oTSino  T  "^"'^"y.  P-f«-edf  in  caL  of  a^^^^^^^ 

on  hoL      ?^'        ^^''  *  '^"^"^^^y  t*»an  800  tons  were  taken 

lost  or  rid"  ;  r''^"?*^^'  ®0«  •^"^  «^  «Pa«e  were  VholW 

Trerxpenseof  th-         >        ^^  '  *'  ^PP^^iation  trfueL 

fire  wonW  1  ^,f  *y  fr?™u^""'^^"^«  «^  *>»'«ting  and  taW 

madP  in  r        5?'*'*"^^'  ''^  ^^^^'^  «  slight  niention  only  is 
made  in  a  preceding  page,  corresponds  pretty  nearly  with 

"  Ae  promofon  and  encouragement  of  manrfacture^LS 

lar  leciures  on  the  sciences  connected  with  them-  hvth« 
formation  of  a  cabinet  of  models  and  mine  al^aTd'a  i[bra! 
ry ,  by  offering  premiums  on  all  subjects  deemed  worthy  of 

toTem^T;TLlT™;?'"^  ^"  "'^^  inventions  subSel 
pedkn™ '  ^     ^^  °'^''  "'"^""  ^«  *h«y  n^ay  deem  ex- 


.ake,  place  a.  the  MaVonie-MrPhlKi^L!'  A.rS 

1  annual  RVhihitinna  K« —  u-u    _ir-     ,.    ' 

L — ..„  s^tcii  iiciu,  uiiurauis 


have  fourteen  such 
Vol.  I 3  L 


480 


PCNNSYLTANIA. 


great  pleaerare  to  the  oommunit>  hy  the  variety  of  intcrett< 
iug  objects  there  for  the  first  time  bronght  to  their  notice, 
and  producing  great  benefit  to  the  mu,  ufacturuig  interests 
by  the  stimulus  r^'^  rvalry  excited  to  supply  the  best  pro- 
ductions; the  ki  •lit  o>      I'ch  is  to  improve  progressively  the 
•kill  and       i      f***     •  arkmen  in  every  branch  of  business. 
According;  to  hxed  rules  of  the  institute,  previously  made 
known,  .r^jtain  premiums  in  gold  and  silver  medals  are 
awarded  to  the  most  successful  among  the  producers  <»f  the 
articles  '   nt  for  exhibition ;  the  funds  for  this  purpose  being 
provided  partly  from  the  8n>>'""''«**  ^ns  of  members,  partly 
BTom  the   payments  for     ^uiiRsion  to  the  exhibitions,  and 
partly  by  occasional  grants  from  the  General  Government. 
In  the  course  of  each  exhibition,  from  40  to  50,000  persons, 
residents  of  the  city  and  strangers,  visit  it,  and  the  greatest 
interest  is  said  to  be  manifested  by  all  classes  in  the  contin- 
ued improvement  of  American  manufactures. 

Among  these  may  be  mentioned  almost  every  description 
of  cotton,  silk,  and  woollen  fabrics,  especially  broadcloths 
and  carpets,  the  latter  of  which  are  equal  in  appearance  and 
beauty  of  pattern  to  English ;  hardware  in  iron  and  steel ; 
cutlery  and  surgical  instruments ;  silver  and  plated  goods  ; 
glassware  and  porcelain;  s'oves  and  grates;  lamps  and 
chandeliers ;  cabinet  ware,  and  musical  instrumei  ,  m  all 
of  which,  such  progressive  improvement  is  manifest  every 
year  as  to  make  it  certain  that  they  have  alrea/ly  attained 
to  equal  perfection  with  the  cldt  st  nations  of  Europe  u 
many  articles;  and  that,  before  many  years  elapse,  the^ 
will  be  inferior  to  none  in  their  general  ir   ^ufactures. 

In  their  capacity  of  examiners  of  new  inventions,  the  di- 
rectors have  the  reputation  of  oonductijg  their  investigations 
with  skill,  and  pronouncing  t}  ir  judgments  with  ir?partiali- 
ty ;  and,  ther  f^re,  ^-eat  pul  -.  confid  nee  is  placed  in  the 
soundness  of  their  opinions  when  publicly  and  deliberately 
pronounced  on  any  invention  submitted  to  their  verdict} 
and  both  in  th'  n.-pect  and  ir,  that  of  ax  r  rding  premiums, 
their  decision  has  rarely  been  impeached  by  disintereste ! 
parties. 

•  Such  an  institution  as  this  /iught  be  advantageously  iii- 
troduced  into  the  large  wnp  f  every  civili55ed  c<  untry, 
and  none  would  benefit       rr      im  their  gen«   al  adoption 


th9n  England.    The  Pol 


Society  of  (   >rnwall  is  a 


recent  and  successful  example  ot  he  benefits  t(  ^e  derived 
by  such  associations;  and  the  good  they  do,  m  America 
might  be  effected  to  an  equal  extent  in  every  other  nation. 


the  State  House,  to  enjoy  a  partina  view  nf  thl    ?    "^  ?  • 
riT'/T  """  «l-«o„,T".^me:  at^e^ele^" 

Indies  and  many  carried  umbrellas  to  shie  d  them  from  the 

We  enjoyed  from  hence  a  commandinir  Droan^M  nf  .1.. 
whole  nty  «,d  8u,«,u„di„g  country  aa  d/SeJrh«  rf 

Tl  *wildk«  rf^i  n°r^  ""'  "■"  '"  <■"">  Wilmingto" 

"£  rn '^nnr.stutr,::i£!rur^f i?:i~ 

?L",  '■  ""  '"u""  ''°'  "  °P«"  «"  'he  year  rold  C 
»1^r^rir^h.^F°P'^'"' ''??,''  of  ««'  SehuylkTthe  Sa! 
S^  (^SrCollL!      ""'"'Waterworte,  the  Penitentiary, 

wood  m  the  ground       :he  Pennsylvania  Hospital  and  Sie 

fni.rs.rtt'^?i,t"t'he .  !;&i?5rr" 

the  great  bell  of  the  .tate  1  ,u^  fl    "J^'lS'L,j„™tio';''°o? 


JBBba^         -itSr 


nVMtVLTJkHlA, 


the  motto  oast  on  it  before  it  was  sent  out  from  England, 
"  Proclaim  liberty  throughout  the  land,  unto  all  the  inhabi- 
tants  thereof,"  from  Leviticus,  chap,  xxv.,  v.  10.     This  bell, 
though  no  longer  used  for  general  purposes,  still  occupies 
the  place  in  which  it  was  originally  hung,  and,  like  the  great 
bell  of  St.  Paul's  in  London,  is  used  only  on  very  special 
occasions ;  such  as  the  anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence,  tb     vioit  of  any  distinguished  personage — La- 
fayette, for  insiance,  on  whose  arrival,  at  his  last  visit,  it  call- 
ed  the  people  together  to  do  him  honour,  as  one  of  the  he- 
roes of  the  Revolutionary  war ;  and  it  will,  no  doubt,  be 
preserved  as  a  national  treasure  for  centuries  yet  to  come. 
In  the  Declaration  room,  as  it  is  called,  we  saw  a  beautiful 
full  length  portrait  of  William  Penn,  in  his  simple  Quaker 
garb,  with  a  countenance  full  of  benevolence,  holding  in  his 
hand  a  scroll,  containing  the  treaty  with  the  Indians  for  the 
sale  of  their  lands ;  and  in  the  bac^-ground  was  placed  the 
great  elm-tree  under  which  the  treaty  was  agreed  to,  with 
several  Indian  chiefs  in  their  native  costume.     A  fuU-length 
portrait  of  General  Lafayette,  taken  during  his  last  visit  to 
America,  served  as  a  companion  to  this,  and  a  small  bust 
portrait  of  "W  ashington  was  placed  between ;  while  at  the 
opposite  side  of  the  room,  facing  the  spectators  as  they  en- 
ter,  is  a  fine  full-length  statue  of  this  idol  of  all  American 
hearts,  done  in  wood  by  Rush,  executed  with  great  spirit, 
and  said  to  be  a  most  faithful  copy  of  the  great  original. 
It  stands  on  a  pedestal,  on  which  is  the  following  inscripl 
tion,  written  in  letters  of  gold :  "First  in  war,  first  in  peace, 
and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen." 

Thus  terminated  our  last  day's  stay  in  Philadelphia.  On 
the  whole,  we  had  great  reason  to  be  pleased  with  our  so- 
journ m  this  beautiful  city.  The  regularity  of  its  plan,  the 
beauty  of  its  public  buildings,  the  foliage  of  its  streets  and 
squares,  the  delightful  rides  and  drives  of  its  environs,  the 
great  success  of  my  public  labours,  uninterrupted  by  a  sin- 
gle  drawback,  and  the  private  hospitalities  and  kindnesses 
received  from  families  and  individuals,  whose  acquaintance 
ripened  into  friendship  before  we  parted,  were  all  calcula- 
ted to  make  us  remember  Philadelphia  and  its  society  with 
more  than  ordinary  pleasure  ;  while  the  spirit  of  its  benev- 
.olent  institutions  diffused  an  atmosphere  of  so  much  moral 
purity  over  all,  that  we  felt  a  desire  to  breathe  it  again  our- 
aelves,  and  spread  its  influence  as  far  and  wide  as  possible. 


DIPARTURB  nou  PHILADILPHU. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

ern  Steamer  from  Enjland.  New- York.- Vwif  to  the  Great  Weat- 

Vy^)V^\"'T^^.  of  Saturday,  the  16th  of  June,  we  left 
Philadelphia  for  New. York,  and  at  the  early  hour  of  hSf 

sCet  wVaTf'"  T?  ""  '°"'  ^'^^  -^^'^'"^««*  ^'  thrcheanm- 
fp«^ll^no  ^^'^  '''^"*'  ™  '^  ^«'y  atiimated  one ;  not 
less  than  500  passengers  were  in  motion  on  the  deck  of  the 

fv^^^  "*  A  7  '"?  *f '°'^'  ^"^  °"  **^«  ^harf  at  which  she  was 
Ijnng.     As  few  of  these  came  without  one  friend  to  see  them 

dJ^^^H  h'T  ^f  '""^  VK""^^  another  500  at  least  were  pr^ 
duced  by  this  class ;  and  of  coachmen,  carmen,  porters,  and 
servants  m  attendance  on  the  adjoining  shore,'there  w^ai 

bo^  ZT"^  f  "™^"'-     f^«^'^  ^^^^  «"  *hes'e  were  news- 
boyj,  with  early  copies  of  the  morning  papers ;  peripatetic 
confectioners  and  fruiterers,  with  baskets^f  thrrreverd 
♦hTuH  •    V^'  I*  ^"P^/'  "^'^^  ^^  <*«"«ate  strains  of  music,  for 
the  ladies'  cabin ;  and  a  Scotch  piper,  with  his  bagpipes/ for 
La^p/P'J  deck  where  the  gentlemen  were  mosUj  To^^e! 
Sai  t.n  t    '  boat  Itself  was  a  barber's  shop,  for  those  who 
had  been  too  much  hurried  to  prepare  their  toilet  before 
embarking ;  a  public  bar,  at  which  were  sold  brandy,  rmi 
wine  and  bitters,  of  which  a  great  many  more  parS  2 
L^i  ^fPepted;  a  captam's   counting   louse,  at  which  aU 
payments  of  passage-money  were  made ;  a  postoffice  for  let- 
ters^ news-room  for  the  public  papers;  and  besides  all  this, 
very  spacious  accommodations  for  breakfasting,  lounrinT 
and  reading ;  the  ladies,  and  the  gentlemen  accimpanying 
them,  havmg  the  after-cabin  devoted  to  their  use ;  bSt  thosi 
gentlemen  who  were  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  have  ladies 
with  them  were  confined  to  the  fore-cabin  only 
h.^Ll^'fi-^''/  wharf  at  six  o'clock,  with  many  a  waving  of 
handkerchiefs  and  kissing  of  hands  from  the  boat  and  from 
the  shore,  as  if  the  voyage  were  to  be  a  very  long  one,  and 
the  parting  final,  which  to  some,  perhaps,  it  might  have 

really  been:  ant\.  annn  oft—  ««*♦; , j-_  :_  _•  •    * 

. ,  — , —".s  gwiwug  iuiucr  woign,  we  wer^ 


464 


RIVER  DBLAWARS. 


summoned  to  breakfast,  which  was  obliged  to  be  served  at 
two  separate  Hours,  half  past  six  and  half  ps^t  seven,  as  the 
only  method  of  ensuring  space  and  comfort  for  all.  The 
breakfast  was  as  ample  and  as  excellent  as  the  most  fastidi- 
ous could  desire;  and  the  utmost  decorum  and  propriety- 
prevailed  during  its  enjoyment,  as  far  as  we  could  observe, 
with  great  mutual  civility,  and  a  desire  to  assist  and  please 
among  the  passengers ;  more  so,  I  think,  than  is  usual  in 
English  steamboats  of  a  similar  description.  This  was  the 
more  agreeable  to  us  to  witness,  as  we  had  been  taught  by 
American  persons  themselves  to  anticipate  great  rudeness, 
hurry,  and  confusion  in  steamboat  meals;  this,  however, 
was  perfectly  well  conducted. 

Our  route  to  New- York  from  hence  was  to  ascend  the 
River  Delaware  for  about  thirty  miles ;  then  land  at  Bor- 
dentown,  and  iroceed  from  thence  by  railroad  another  thirty 
miles  to  An:  ^y ;  and,  embarking  there  in  another  steam- 
boat, complete  the  trip  by  another  forty  miles  of  navigation 
to  New- York ;  the  distance  of  one  hundred  miles,  or  there- 
about, including  all  the  transfers  and  stoppages,  being  ac- 
complished in  seven  hours  and  a  quarter,  or  nearly  at  he 
rate  of  fourteen  miles  an  hour  all  the  way. 
'    The  passage  up  the  River  Delaware  was  extremely  agree- 
able.    Abreast  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia  the  river  exceeds 
a  mile  in  width,  nor  does  this  sensibly  diminish  for  a  dis- 
tance of  15  or  20  miles  up  the  stream,  when  it  begins  to 
contract,  but  retains  a  breadth  of  half  a  mile,  at  least,  up  to 
the  point  of  debar  cation.     On  both  sides  the  banks  present- 
ed a  charming  appearance,  for,  though  not  much  variegated 
by  elevation  or  depression  of  surface,  the  exuberant  fertility 
that  everywhere  met  the  eye,  the  rich  green  pastures,  abun- 
dant wood,  and  constant  succession  of  pretty  retreats  over- 
hanging the  very  margin  of  the  stream,  marked  it  out  as  the 
land  of  plenty,  in  which  the  bounty  of  nature  was  spread  out 
with  a  lavish  hand,  and  where  no  one  need  want  for  food, 
raiment,  and  shelter  who  would  be  honest  and  industrious. 

In  the  course  of  our  passage  up  the  river  we  saw  on  the 
western  bank  the  country-seat  of  Mr.  Nicholas  Biddle,  the 
president  of  the  United  States'  Bank,  which  presents  a 
chaste  Doric  front,  with  portico  and  pediment,  after  a  de- 
sign by  Mr.  Walter,  the  architect  of  the  Girard  College,  and, 
surrounded  as  it  is  by  a  judicious  admixture  of  shrubbery 
and  lawn,  it  produces  a  very  pleasing  effect. 

Soon  after,  about  nine  o'clock,  or  three  hours  after  leav- 
ing PhilaJeiphia,  we  arrived  at  Burlington  and  Bristol,  two 


B0»LmOT0N.-BEiaiOL.-llo«I«KI0WW.  iU 

population  of  from  5  to  fiOnn^«  the  two,  contains  a 

founded  by  QuakS«  n!i        ?  P*""""'-     '*  ^^  originally 

of  -tiremJnrShi'i^ToTZ  t;  '^T'^'p'^'^ 
quently.  regular  in  its  nSn  „  !  •  , ,  *  ^°^y'  ^^  «'  ^onse- 
perfectly  clfaraid  ordtlv  in  ft  '"  ^V'^  arrangements,  and 
uniform^resuUs^fqlt^i^^^^^^^^  ^^-^  ^^e 

It  was  mentioned  to  m.  ...  .     •  '«"™e'  management. 

of  P™ple"r«  N^r^  wTthrZ"?'"''"?  '^'"'"''y 
Philadelphia  ,he  place  To  a^^ndi' iS:°dB;;:^:,"'"'"'J'' 
the  quiet  retreat  for  old  age  Xn  U^b  ""d  Burlington  was 
•pending  it  gave  wav  to  Mhll  ,?     I    "''','"«  """"'y  •^^ 

desiredi  pL'SI^li  ?„'g' j  ^t l^'uiml^^  ^TT 
in  peace  to  their  graves  tranquillity,  and  sink 

ap^^rl^ie-Vo'm  ^tjt^  TX'  """^  ■»  P-"^  ■"> 

stilU  tolerably  LgecSv^lSr^'"  ""n'"  P"!""'-™'  " 

but  the  inhabLn.fwo„l74  oS^d  ri™""''^'"™' 
designation,  as  it  is  an  .\.„r™      .  j    '•  P^'^aps,  at  such  a 

thatV  "nV„nu"at:ir  "elSel5?R2->  7l  T"  """ 
the  London  banker  who!™.  Rowland  Stephenson, 

to  America  wTa  ikr  J^^arum^T'T  '''\'^'""  '^"S'"" 
the  banking  firm  of  XrhTwa^'a^pSt'So  '""" 
Sided  here  at  B  istol  in  <«  »oo„  •  *^*'^"®'  ^"  i.ondon,  re- 
some  few  associat^Vamon^  th?T  '^^'^"'"«*an<^«s>"  and  had 
the  place.  ^^'^'^^^*  ^™°"g  ^^e  less  scrupulous  residents  of 

soI^es'Ttrerirg  Zl't'onlTl  ^^^^^^  ^'^  «^--' 

other,  but  rarely  ?n^  the  cen^eaLrf'-^"'f"''  *°  ^^« 
fertility  and  beau"v  of  Sh   In       ^^"^^"nff  ^^^  exuberant 

where  we  were  to  LtranSeiredfr  T'*^"^  Bordentown, 
road  cars      TS»^;     wanslerred  from  the  steamboat  to  rail- 

iTne  ofTars  "orbrtt'h""  ^°^"  f  ^^^'^'^'  -^"1 

ble.     The  weatCwa;  del  ght^^^^^^^^  ''^^  ^g'-a- 

tempered  the  heat  of  the  a  mosnh^r?^  ^'^^^^  S'^^^ 

in  the  construction  of  the  enrn?-K^  k"*  ^'""^  "^'"^  ^^^^ct 

ashes  thrown  up  wi'h  he  sSTa7X'"^l''^''^''  !:^^°'™'  '^^ 

quantities  on  th'e  p^ssengerrL  t^^^^  carstToT  '^'V"  "f 

disagreeable,  besides  bufning  the  dresses  of  °n.h  'f^f  ^ 

dies  as  werft  n^nraof  ♦!,„  „_4.  "*  aresses  ol  such  of  the  la- 

s.  .ft.  cnguius,  ine  sparks  failing  on  their 


466 


AMBOT. 


persons  before  the  fire  in  them  was  completely  extinguished, 
so  that  innumerable  small  holes  were  burned  through  the 
parts  of  their  garments  on  which  they  fell. 

The  route  by  the  railroad  was  through  the  State  of  New- 
Jersey,  over  a  generally  level  tract  of  country,  there  being 
very  few  and  very  slight  elevations  or  depressions  in  the 
surface  to  preserve  the  general  level  throughout  the  whole 
way. 

New-Jersey  is  celebrated  for  its  productions  of  fruit ;  and 
on  either  hand,  as  we  passed  on,  we  saw  orchards  of  ap- 
pies,  pecurs,  peaches,  and  other  fruits,  the  trees  of  which 
weje  full  of  promise.  The  rich  grass  lands,  general  fer- 
tility, and  exuberant  foliage  of  the  woods  that  lined  our  road 
were  delightful  to  the  eye,  and  gave  us  a  very  high  concep- 
tion of  the  productive  powers  of  this  part  of  the  country. 
We  enjoyed  it,  too,  perhaps  the  more,  because  of  the  pleas- 
ing contrast  which  its  present  state  of  foliage  and  fruitful- 
ness  presented  to  the  bleak  and  barren  appearance  of  the 
same  track  when  we  passed  it  in  February  last. 

About  eleven  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Amboy,  having  per- 
formed the  distance  of  30  miles  in  something  less  than  two 
hours,  the  general  rate  of  speed,  therefore,  being  about  16 
miles  the  hour ;  but  in  some  particular  spots,  where  a  slight 
descent  assisted  the  progress  of  the  cars,  a  mile  was  per- 
formed in  two  minutes  and  a  half,  being  at  the  rate  of  24 
miles  an  hour.  It  is  not  f  )r  want  of  power  that  the  engines 
do  not  go  at  greater  speed,  but  from  restrictive  regulations 
of  the  directors,  which  prohibit  it,  having  reference,  no  doubt, 
to  economy,  durability,  and  safety  in  these  restraints. 

Embarking  on  board  the  steamboat  at  Ambty,  we  found 
the  change  delightful,  and  proceeded  on  our  way  to  New- 
York.  On  our  passage  from  this  city  to  Philadelphia  in 
February  last,  we  were  obliged  to  make  the  voyage  from 
New- York  to  Amboy  by  passing  round  the  outer  or  eastern 
edge  of  Staten  Island,  as  the  inner  passage  was  thickly  fro- 
zen and  unnavigable,  and  the  outer  one,  indeed,  had  doating 
ice  of  15  and  16  inches  in  thickness  all  the  way,  the  cold 
being  intense.  Now,  however,  the  heat  was  as  much  in  ex- 
treme, the  thermometer  being  at  90" ;  while  on  the  morning 
of  our  embarcation  in  February  it  was  6°  below  zero,  such 
was  the  difference  of  temperature  in  four  months.  But  the 
inner  passage  being  now  open,  we  did  not  regret  the  change, 
as  it  gave  us  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  long  narrow 
channel  on  the  west  of  Staten  Island,  and  between  it  and 
the  New-Jersey  shore. 


BAY   OF   JNEW-YORK. 


457 


«;JS  ;    T\  7   ""u  ''  ^*.^^^'*  ^^^"*y  ""^^^  in  length,  occu- 

Sn  ?h"  f  r'  T  ^r'  ^"  P"^^^"g '  ^"t  ^^'^^^  ^^e  few  spots 
on  he  globe  where  for  such  a  distance  there  is  a  more  con! 
tinned  scene  of  beauty,  at  this  season  of  the  year  at  least 
when  everything  appeared  in  its  best  dress.  On  both  the 
shores,  distant  from  each  other  from  two  to  four  miles  in 
different  parts,  the  vegetation  was  in  the  highest  degree  of 
luxuriance  ;  and  the  frequency  with  which  new  settlements, 
small  in  extent,  but  neat  and  picturesque  in  their  aspect 

E7of  the^sSSe!'^^"^'  '''  ^°^^^^^'  ^''^'  --^  -  ^^' 
In  this  way  we  passed  Elizabethtown  on  the  left,  in  New- 
Jersey ;  the  recent  but  flourishing  little  watering-place  of 
New-Bnghton,  on  Staten  Island,  on  our  right,  with  the  Pa- 
vilion  Hotel,  public  baths,  and  private  dwellings,  built  like 

f?oTfh°^  ^"""^  u'^P^^'  '^'^''  '^^"^  "^^"ne^  iiUas  and 
from  their  pure  white  exterior  looking  like  edifices  of  Pa- 
nan  marble.  We  had  also  a  distant  view  of  Newark  in 
New- Jersey,  one  of  the  prettiest  towns  in  the  country  At 
length  we  opened  the  Bay  of  New- York,  with  the  Quaran- 
tine  Ground,  the  Narrows,  ships  at  anchor,  outward  bound, 
In  vI''"tT  r^^^'"^'^  T^t  beating  across  the  waters,  Bed- 
I0.VS  Island,  Governor's  Island,  Brooklyn  on  the  Heights 
and  the  City  of  New-York  right  ahead,  Lming  ahogeThe; 

tmp,1h„f  t^  "^*«"r«'  ^^"ed,  and  delightful  marine  pic 
tuies  that  the  eye  could  survey.  I  had  thought  the  entrance 
IVn  uVv,  °f  N«^-York,  from  the  Atlantic,  when  we  passed 
?Z^  .'..^r^^f  '"^  ^''°^"''  extremely  beautiful ;  and 
Sfml  o?i  ?  T /''.'  '°7^""  approaching  it  from  the 
Straits  of  Staten  Island  m  June.     The  city,  tSo,  preserved 

^  th.'  r^T"^  "fn  '^^^  "™«^«"«  «P^^««  ^nd  steeples 
of  the  churches;  the  Battery,  ^uth  its  trees,  now  in  full  foli- 

EthP  P°Tp''  b«"*«'  «1°°P«»  aid  schooners  emerging 
from  the  East  River  on  the  one  hand,  and  from  the  North 
River  on  the  other;  with  the  forest  of  masts  fringing  the 
edge  of  New.York,  at  the  wharves  on  either  sidf  of  the 
shore,  and  the  distinctive  signals  of  the  several  packets  and 
other  large  vessels  engage.!  in  the  foreign  trade,  all  made 
up  a  lovely  and  animating  picture.     It  furnishes  a  striking 
contrast  to  the  general  absence  of  ships  and  vessel^  in  thS 
harbour  of  Baltimore  and  ilie  river  of  Philadelohia    and 
gave  me  still  higher  ideas  than  I  had  entertained  Iet;e   of 
JlLF^^f^T'""!.  «"P^^"«  'ty  of  New- York  to  both  these 
«il  K-Pr  ^r    T  ^^'  ?^''^^'  proximity  to  the  ocean,  and  ac 

CeSSlbllltV  of   in  Pt    anA    fMiflnf    +1 1 ^    .1  ' 


cessibilitv  of  inlet  and  ntuUf  t»ir«, 
Vol  I.--3  M  39 


lrTn«-^i. 


>t     «U 


k_     1         .... 

;iC    J  UUr,    V.iiH    Oliii 


458 


SECOND  VISIT   TO  NEW-YORK. 


more,  perhaps,  from  the  capaciousness  and  security  of  her 
waters,  and  the  magnificent  avenues  of  the  East  River  and 
North  River,  by  which  her  smaller  craft  can  penetrate  at 
once  into  the  very  heart  of  the  country. 

We  landed  from  the  steamboat  at  half  past  one ;  but 
iound  the  city  so  full  of  strangers,  it  being  the  season  when 
persons  come  up  from  the  South  to  enjoy  the  cooler  climate 
of  this  and  the  more  Northern  parts,  that  we  were  four 
hours  in  searching  from  hotel  to  hotel  in  every  part  of  the 
town,  and  this  in  the  midst  of  a  violent  thunder-storm,  with 
vivid  lightning  and  torrents  of  rain,  before  we  could  get 
even  a  single  sleeping-room  disengaged.  We  at  length  ob- 
tained this  at  the  Waverley  Hotel  in  Broadway,  and  here 
made  our  home  for  the  present. 

During  my  stay  in  New- York  I  suffered  a  second  illness, 
not  having  sufficiently  regained  my  strength  from  the  fever 
m  Philadelphia  before  I  resumed  my  journeys.     I  was  ac- 
cordingly detained  here  for  a  week,  and  only  able  at  the 
close  of  It  to  see  a  few  of  the  many  friends  we  had  left  here, 
whose  cordiality  we  found  unabated.     We  paid  a  short  visit 
to  the  Great  Western  steamer,  which  had  just  arrived  at 
New- York  on  her  second  successful  voyage  across  the  At- 
lantic,    Her  size,  accommodation,  bui,  above  all,  the  ma- 
chinery of  her  truly  magnificent  engines,  formed  altogether 
a  splenu id  triumph  of  art,  honourable  to  the  projectors  ^nd 
to  the  nation,  besides  being  gratifying  in  a  moral  point  of 
view,  bringing  England  and  America  so  much  nearer  to 
each  other  in  time.     This  increased  facility  of  intercourse 
cannot  fail  to  lead  more  Englishmen  to  visit  the  United 
States,  and  more  Americans  to  visit  England  than  hereto- 
fore, and  thus  hasten  the   breaking  down  of  those   anti- 
national  prejudi<  es  which  still  linger  in  each  against  the  ir 
habitants  of  the  i.  iher,  and  may  every  year  thus  strengthen 
the  bonds  of  peace  and  amicable  relations  of  commerce  and 
good-wiJl  between  all  the  nations  of  the  globe  ! 


DEPARTURE  FOR  ALBANY. 


489 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

As  the  weather  continued  sultry,  and  I  derived  less  ben- 
TL  T  ™^^!?"*.^  V^an  it  was  thought  likely  I  should  do 
tiom  change  of  air,  I  was  advised  by  my  physician  to  em- 
bark  at  once  upon  the  Hudson  River,  and  go  straight  to  the 
village  of  CatskiU  without  halting  at  iny  infermediSe  point! 
but,  on  landing  there,  to  ascend  the  mountains,  and  pass  a 
night  or  two  at  the  Mountain  House,  the  elevation  of  which 
secures  a  cool  and  bracing  atmosphere,  while  all  the  lower 
parts  ot  the  country  are  tteeped  in  sultry  heat. 

On  the  morning  of  Saturday,  the  23d  of  June,  we  accord- 
ingly  embarked  at  seven  o'clock  on  board  the  steamer  for 
Albany,  and  found  thep  between  four  and  five  hundred  pas- 
sengers  bound  up  the  river.  The  vessel  was  of  large  size, 
with  ample  accommodations  and  engines  of  great  power,  so 
that  her  average  speed  when  under  way  was  not  less  than 
fourteen  miles  per  hour. 

Leaving  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of  Barclay-street,  we  pro- 
ceeded  upward  on  our  course,  having  on  cur  right  the  con- 
tinuous lines  ci  .'iarves,  ships,  steamers,  and  small  craft, 
which  fringe  the  western  edge  of  New- York,  as  the  larger 
vessels  do  <he  r,'  .iks  of  the  East  River  on  the  other  side  of 
the  town,  .a  every  hundred  yards,  and  often  less,  we  met 
schooners  and  sloops  under  sail,  coming  down  the  Hudson 
witn  a  leading  wmH  fmrn  thp.  o^^f,„ — i   ._ j.:i-  .. 

a  -  — *'*  "'^  i^Moivraiu,  '.vaiii;  US  many  were 


460 


HUDSON  RITKR. 


passed  by  us  upward-bound ;  the  number  of  these  small 
crait— with  their  clean,  well-cut,  and  well-trimmed  sails,  and 
vanes  lengthened  out  into  broad  pennants,  after  the  man- 
ner  ol  the  Dutch,  from  whom  this  custom  is  no  doubt  deri- 
ved— being  sometimes  as  many  as  a  hundred,  all  in  sight  at 
once,  and  giving  great  life  and  animation  to  the  scene! 

We  passed  the  hills  of  Hoboken  on  our  left,  scattered 
over  which  were  many  beautiful  villas,  the  country-seats  of 
opuknt  merchants  and  others  from  New- York  ;  the  position 
ol  Hoboken  combining  the  advantages  of  fine  air,  exten- 
sive view,  beautiful  woods,  and  close  proximity  to  the  city 
there  being  a  steam  ferry-boat  that  crosses  the  Hudson  at 
this  point  continuously  throughout  the  day. 

A  little  above  this,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  and  dis- 
tant from  the  city  about  six  miles,  is  a  spot  called  Wee- 
ftawken,  which  is  memorable  as  the  usual  duel-ground  of 
this  quarter.  It  is  close  to  the  river's  edge,  and  screened 
in  irom  the  land-view  by  surrounding  rocks,  which  give  it 
the  privacy  usually  sought  in  such  encounters.  Here  it  was 
that  the  well-known  General  Hamilton  fell  in  a  duel  with 
the  then  notorious,  and,  it  may  now  be  added,  infamous 
Colonel  Burr.  The  St.  Andrew's  Society  of  New- York 
erected  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  general,  wbieh 
continued  for  some  years  to  occupy  the  spot  where  he  fell ; 
but  smce  the  removal  of  his  remains  to  the  burial-ground 
ot  Irinity  Church  m  Broadway,  the  monument  has  been  re- 
moved also,  and  one  has  been  erected  to  his  memory  near 
the  church  named. 

About  two  miles  beyond  this,  and  weight  from  New- York, 
the  western  bank  of  the  river  begins  to  pssume  a  very  re- 
markable appearance,  presenting  all  along,  on  that  margin 
^i'nn  r®°™'  *  P^fpendicular  wall  of  rock,  varying  from  100 
to  500  feet  in  height,  sometimes  petfectly  bare,  and  some- 
times partially  covered  with  brushwood,  but  always  show- 
ing the  perpendicularity  which  constitutes  its  most  striking 
teature,  and  carrying  along  on  its  summits  the  sharp  and 
broken  edge  of  a  precipice,  while  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff  be- 
low there  is  often  neither  beach  nor  platform,  so  that  the 
river  bathes  the  solid  wall  of  rock  as  it  rises  perpendicular- 
ly from  the  stream. 

These  cliffs  extend  for  nearly  twenty  miles  along  the 
western  bank  of  the  Hudson,  and  are  called  "  The  Palisa- 
does,  a  name  given  probably  from  the  ribbed  appearance 
oi  some  parts  of  the  cliff,  which  seom  like  rude  basaltic 
columns,  or  huge  trunks  of  old  and  decayed  trees,  placed 


THE   PAL18ADOE8. 


Ml 


close  together  m  a  perpendicular  form  for  a  barricade  or 
delence.  The  water  is  deep  close  to  their  very  feet,  being 
what  IS  called,  m  nautical  language,  "  a  bold  shore ;"  and  the 
small  sloops  and  schooners  that  navigate  the  stream  were  of- 
ten  so  close  to  the  cliffs  that  a  biscuit  might  be  thrown  on 
shore  from  them;  sometimes,  indeed,  it  would  seem  as  if 
they  were  determined  to  run  their  bowsprits  into  the  rock, 
as  they  did  not  tack  till  their  stems  were  within  a  few  feet 
ot  the  chff,  making  their  evolutions  interesting  and  pictu- 

Here  anc'  n  ere,  however,  a  break  in  the  cliffs  would 
show  a  little  bit  of  lawn  doping  down  to  the  stream,  and  a 
pretty  little  cottage  peepiiig  out  from  the  wood  in  whi  :h  it 
was  imbosomed;  and  .ometimes,  at  'he  foot  of  a  narrow  ra- 
vme,  would  be  seen  an  air  ^  ^e  shed,  either  of  a  river-fisher- 
man,  a  quarryman,  or  som  -f.-r  l&bomer  to  whom  this  lo- 
cahty  was  acceptable.  The  >i  ^osi.e  or  eastern  bank  of  the 
river  was  only  of  moderate  height,  cultivated,  wooded,  and 
dotted  over  with  dwellings  at  intervals,  so  as  to  contrast 
agreeably  with  the  western  cliffs. 

In  the  course  of  our  progress  along  these  palisadoes,  and 
about  jour  miles  after  their  commencement,  there  were 
pointed  out  to  us  the  sites  of  two  remarkable  forts,  one  o( 
luem  called  Fort  Lee,  which  stood  on  the  very  edge  and 
summit  o*^  the  western  cliffs,  at  an  elevation  of  200  feet 
above  the  levf  1  of  the  rive,  and  the  other  called  Fort 
Washmgton,  wiiich  stood  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream, 
on  a  moderately  elevated  hill.  This  latter  fort  was  taken 
by  the  British  m  1776,  and  the  garrison,  consisting  of  2600 


462 


HUDSON   RIVER. 


troops,  were  captured  as  prisoners  of  war.  Fort  Lee  soon 
after  surrendered  also ;  but  these  were  only  temporary  dis- 
asters in  the  glorious  effort  by  which  the  oppressed  colonists 
of  Britain  achieved  their  independence. 

At  the  termination  of  the  Palisadoes  the  river,  which 
hitherto  continues  its  breadth  of  about  a  mile,  suddenly  ex- 
pands  to  a  width  varying  from  two  to  five  miles,  and  is  here 
calleu  Tappan  Bay,  the  increased  breadth  continuing  for  a 
distance  of  about  eight  miles.  This  spot  is  also  consecrated 
m  American  history ;  for,  close  by  the  little  village  of  Tap- 
pan,  which  gives  its  name  to  the  bay,  is  i^inted  out  the 
grave  of  Andre,  whose  connexion  with  the  conspiracy  of  the 
traitor  Arnold  is  well  known;  and  whose  remains,  as  that  of 
a  British  officer,  were  given  up  at  the  request  of  the  British 
government,  and  conveyed  to  England  for  interment  there  a 
lew  years  ago. 

On  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Hudson,  and  near  the  north- 
ern  termination  of  Tappan  Bay,  is  the  state-prison  forcrimi- 
nals,  called  Singsing.  It  presents  a  very  singular  appear- 
ance from  the  river,  being  a  mass  consisting  of  several  low 
ranges  of  buildings,  quite  close  to  the  water's  edge,  and 
from  being  built  of  white  marble,  it  has  a  snowy,  and,  in 
some  positions  of  the  sun,  even  a  dazzling  appearance.  It 
was  my  intention,  had  my  health  permitted,  to  have  visited 
Smgsmg  and  West  Point  in  our  progress  up  the  river  •  but 
the  interdict  under  which  I  was  placed  by  my  physician  for- 
bade  it,  and  I  was  therefore  compelled  to  reserve  my  exam- 
ination of  these  two  interesting  spots— interesting,  of  course, 
from  very  different  causes,  the  one  as  a  place  of  punishment, 
the  other  as  a  place  of  education— till  some  future  time. 

About  twenty  miles  above  the  Bay  of  Tappan,  and  forty 
Irom  New- York,  the  scenery  of  the  river  becomes  again 
changed,  and  the  range  of  hills  called  the  Highlands  ap- 
proach close  to  the  water,  and  hem  in  the  stream  on  either 
side.     The  entrance  into  this  channel  is  strikingly  pictu- 
resque ;  and,  with  the  full  green  foliage  of  the  month  of 
June,  and  the  countless  sailing  and  steam  vessels  going  up 
and  doMTi  the  river,  some  of  the  latter  like  floating  warehou- 
ses  (laden  with  two  or  three  tiers  of  decks  filled  with  cargo) 
few  prospects  can  be  imagined  more  romantic,  more  stirring 
or  more  beautiful.     The  hills  rise  abruptly  in  steep  angles 
Irom  the  stream,  and  present,  for  a  distance  of  nearly  twen- 
ty miles,  a  succession  of  bluff  headlands  or  promontories 
all,  however,  clothed  with  underwood  fiom'  their  base  to 
their  summits ;  and  the  ravines  or  valleys  between  them  are 


HUDSON  RIVBR. 


463 


as  beautiful  as  the  hills  themselves.     The  windings  round 
he  promontones  present  a  series  of  lakes,  ST  which  the 

rnnt'l°'K?'"''^"^l^°''^^^'  ^'  ^he  continualionoFSe  river 
IS  not  visible  either  above  or  below,  from  the  ovprlar!!^ 

mterlacing  of  the  headlands  of  the  one  sTd   wirthe^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
mg  capes  of  the  other.     This  is  peculiarly  the  case  at  a 
spot  called  -  the  Horse  Race,"  where  the  stream  makes  a 
bend,  running  nearly  east  and  west,  its  general  dbeSion  be 
ing  north  and  south.     The  hills  on  either  side  approSc^^ 
ser  to  each  other  here,  and  the  contraction  oT?Je  river^' 
breadth,  contrasted  with  the  height  of  the  overhangLg  hil  s 
which  rise  from  1200  to  1500  feet— higher  thlT?u    3  u    ' 
peak  of  ,he  Rock  of  GibraU^.t'd  w1&  ."i'^sS^ 

Here,  too,  the  recollections  of  the  Revolutionary  war  are 
preserved  m  the  names  of  Fort  Montgomery  and  Ctc^n! 
ton  which  were  captured  from  Generll  Putnam  by  S^e  BriT 
ish  troops  m  1777 ;  and  in  the  name  of  a  she^t  of  watfr  in 
the  rear  of  Fort  Clinton,  called  -Bloody  Pond,''  fTom  the 
crimson  tmge  given  to  its  waters  by  the  number  of  the  silin 

^Z"VT  'I  f'%'^'  sanguinary  battle  and  dreadful  car" 
nage  of  which  that  fort  was  the  scene.* 

About  half  past  ten  we  arrived  opposite  to  West  Point 
having  performed  the  distance  of  fiffy  miles  in  about  three 

great  ^^aushter  in  a  naval^attl/fouglTt  t.^net  Z^l^^l^L^'o^liAl 


464 


WEST   POINT. 


hours  and  a  half,  making  good  the  rate  of  fourteen  miles  an 
hour.     The  approach  to  this  spot  is  highly  interesting.     On 
the  west  mdc  v(  the  Hudson,  a  promontory  of  moderate 
height,  from  160  to  200  feet  above  the  level  oi  ^'le  river 
projects  into  the  stream,  so  as  to  requiic  a  shr.p  tu      round 
its  extremity  to  follow  the  course  of  the  river  on  tii.    otlu 
side.     On  the  upper  or  level  part  of  this  promont wry  are 
placed  the  buildings  of  the  Military  Academy,  at  whifh  all 
the  cadets  intended  to  form  the  officeM  of  the  United  States' 
army  are  educated  ;   and  above  thell,  on  a  commanding 
elevation  of  about  600  feet,  are  the  ruins  of  Fort  Putnam, 
one  of  the  most  impregnable  of  the  American  lortr  sses  du- 
ring the  Revo'Mtionary  war.     The  position  of  the  fortrosg, 
and  of  the  batteries  on  West  Point,  gave  them  a  coni|jieto 
command  of  the  river  up  and  down,  as  far  as  the  range  of 
the  cannon  could  extend ;  and  every  effort  of  the  British, 
during  eight  years  of  warfare,  to  wrest  them  from  ihe  br^ve 
hands  that  defended  both,  were  unsuccessful.     Fort  Putnam 
is  dismantled  and  in  ruins,  there  being  no  apparent  necessity 
for  such  inland  fortresses  at  present ;  and  the  policy  and  the 
interest  of  the  country  being  pacific,  centuries  may  elapse 
before  they  are  ever  required  again. 

The  establishment  at  West  Point  is  still,  however,  main- 
tained with  full  efficiency,  and  the  beauty,  as  well  as  the 
interest!  5  nature  of  the  spot,  occasions  it  to  be  much  fre- 
quentr^l  To  accommodate  the  large  number  of  visiters 
here  ;  t  n;e  summer,  a  spacious  and  splendid  hotel  was  built 
by  'bo  gc^Vi^rnment,  and  leased  out  to  a  proper  superintend- 
ent ;  bui,  after  a  few  years  of  trial,  it  became  so  attractive 
that  it  was  thought  injurious  to  the  good  discipline  of  the 
students  to  continue  it,  and  therefore  it  was  ordered  to  be 
shut  up.  The  building  still  occupies  its  original  position, 
and  forms  a  fine  object  from  the  river,  but  it  is  quite  unten- 
anted at  present. 

I  had  letters  of  introduction  to  Colonel  De  Russey  and 
Colonel  Thayer,  the  officers  in  command  at  West  Point,  as 
I  had  originally  intended  to  have  passed  a  few  days  here ; 
but  my  present  debility  rendered  it  imprudent  to  attempt  it 
now.  I  therefore  passed  on  without  landing,  reserving  my 
visit  till  another  opportunity.  We  admired  exceedingly, 
however,  the  beautiful  appearance  of  the  place,  saw  with 
pleasure  the  pillared  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of 
the  brave  Polish  patriot,  Kosciusko,  who  resided  here,  and 
tilled  with  his  own  hands  a  quiet  little  garden,  Avhich  he 
made  his  favourite  retreat,  and  which  is  still  carefully  pre- 
served. 


SCENEfiT   or   THE   HUOSOf 


^•w^ 


iww>3fe<5s.«^--v^'' 


'^he  termination  of  the  Highland  scenery  is  about  six 
in  above  West  Point,  where  two  frowning  hills  overhang 
lu  "^'f®*"!®"  either  side,  the  one  called  Breakneck,  and 
the  other  Butter  Hill ;  and  between  these,  in  the  centre  of 
the  river,  rises  a  mass  of  rock  called  Polopell  Island.  The 
i?nn  f  ^^^  overhanging  hills  is  here  also  from  1200  to 
lOUU  leet,  and  the  scene  is  one  of  great  grandeur  and  beauty. 

Beyond  this  the  character  of  the  landscape  changes  into  a 
Botter  and  more  subdued  style.     The  river  again  expands  in 


breadth ;  the  shores  on  either  side  are  well  cultivated  in  ri- 
sing slopes,  and  studded  with  small  villages,  separate  farm- 
houses, and  private  dwellings  ;  while  the  incorporated  town 

of  Newburgh,  just  above  the  smaller  villaae  of  Npw.WinH. 

-      -  J-,     -  _  — ..    .. — 


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Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)872-4503 


• 


466 


NEWBrRGH   AND  POUGHV^EPBIE. 


sor,  displays  itself  on  a  commanding  elevation,  and  presents 
a  striking  appearance  from  the  river.  It  is  a  rising  and 
flourishing  place  of  trade,  containing  already  a  population 
of  about  10,000,  annually  on  the  increase.  The  buildings 
have  all  that  newness  and  freshness  of  appearance  which  is 
so  characteristic  of  American  settlements ;  and,  being  built 
chiefly  of  wood  (though  there  are  many  fine  stone  houses  in 
Newburgh),  and  painted,  with  white  walls,  relieved  by 
bright-green  Venetian  windows  and  blinds,  they  seem  as  if 
they  were  hardly  a  month  old.  There  are  several  large 
hotels,  an  Episcopalian  Church  with  a  lofty  steeple,  and  a 
Presbyterian  Church  with  a  gilded  cupola  or  dome,  the  first 
I  had  seen  in  the  country ;  and  these^  rising  from  the  mass 
of  well-built  houses,  symmetrically  arranged,  and  sloping 
down  the  steep  bank  of  the  Hudson  on  the  west,  gave  the 
whole  town  a  commanding  air  and  pleasing  aspect. 

Among  the  whole  is  preserved,  with  great  care,  the 
*'  stone  house"  in  which  General  Washington  held  his  head- 
quarters when  the  Revolutionary  army  was  encamped  here  ; 
and  many  continue  to  visit  it  as  a  spot  rendered  sacred  by 
its  former  occupier,  and  by  the  cause  in  which  he  fought. 
On  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river  rises  a  lofty  eminence 
called  Beacon  Hill,  which  is  1500  feet  high,  and  a  little  to 
the  south  of  it  is  another  peak  about  1700  feet  high.  These 
are  both  called  Beacon  Hills,  because,  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  signals  were  made  from  their  summits  by  fires. 
They  are  often  frequented  by  visiters,  especially  the  former, 
as  from  its  summit  the  view  extends  into  five  different  states, 
namely,  Vermont,  New-Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  Con- 
necticut, and  New- York. 

About  fifteen  miles  beyond  Newburgh,  but  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river,  on  the  east,  is  another  of  those  rising 
and  flourishing  towns  of  which  America  is  so  full,  namely, 
Poiighkeepsie.  It  contains  a  population  of  about  10,000, 
but  is  even  more  rapidly  augmenting  its  numbers  than  New- 
burgh. Occupying  an  elevated  position,  it  is  seen  as  a  con- 
spicuous object  in  the  river  scenery,  both  in  ascending  and 
in  descending  the  stream.  Its  principal  source  of  wealth  is 
its  manufactures,  and  of  these  the  principal  branch  is  silk, 
there  being  a  company  engaged  in  this  with  a  capital  of 
200,000  dollars.  A  variety  of  manufactures  in  hardware 
are  also  carried  on,  and  a  peculiarly  beautiful  screw  has 
been  manufactured  here  by  a  machine,  for  which  a  patent 
has  been  taken  out,  which,  from  its  mathematical  precision 
in  all  its  parts,  is  likely  to  supersede  every  other  kind  of 


# 


CAT3KILL.— AMERICAN  ROADS.  457 

keep^ie,  and  on  tfe  Zeside  of  he  rivlr'  r?  °'  ^°"8'- 

ham,  my  son,  and  myself,  six  in  all      Thl  «♦  Bucking- 

open  coach,  desimied  fnr  nino  "  i'  '^^  ®*^Se  was  a  large 
back  seat  for  S  each  InH  ^''^^^^  P^^ngers,  afront  and 

between  these  twoVforCe  morT  ''^''^'^  ''^''  "^^^^^ 
glad  that  it  was  not  iTkely  ^^  KllU  iTlf  T'  ^^'^'^^^^ 
pressive,  and  in  mv  weak  and  *fv?o  7  ^  ®  the  heat  was  op. 
have  felt'  the  pres2e  patfuUy  ^^'""^'^  '^'^^^^^^  ^  «^«»W 

of  America  seS  by  the  d^^^^^^^^^^^ 
such  as  Schuylkill,  Fishkill   &c      T^     n^''  termination : 
small  creek,  which  flows  1^^^^^  I    o^^ri:  f^'^'^'J''  * 
and  contains  about  50C0  SitB^u    iZt    ?l-   ^"^'^"^ 
chiefly  of  wood.  mnabitants,  the  bmldmgs  being 

an7a  Sd'^dlfvtnt"^^^^^^^^  "^^^  ^^^  «^-t  W» 

for  English  roa^it^ld  oTL^Jict  res  ™W  r.  ^^ 
told,  on  inquiry,  that  the  roadT  he  foot  of  t^^^"*  *'"•"" 
which  is  about  nine  milp<,  JL.  i  i  j  °^  *"®  mountain, 
it  was  only  tL  ascSt  of  Th!  '^  ^"^  excellent,  and  tha 
miles  more,  tLZZ  ^^ ^^ZT'^'^'a^''^^^  "*'«"*  *^'«« 
standard  of^xcelwIiffLrhote'r^^^^^  ^^« 

tries  and  in  different  minds  't"°7  '  ^"  <*ifferent  coun- 
road  would  have  Cn  Smfcfht  k  ^  l"^  ?"i  °^  ^"^^P^  ^^•^ 
have  been  caUed  ex^  abb  ^*t^^^^^^^  "^  England  it  would 
ever,  but  patience  Jhous-hu  -  ^  T  f°  '^™"^y'  ^°^- 
this  to  sustain  the'  iolte  Ind  It'^T'^  \^[ ^^  "^«'«'««  «f 
enoufehtodislocaL^aweakfrat^^^^^^^^^  "^'^   "*™*«^ 

The  road  was  not  only  Lu  ^Teep  ^s  t^^^       *«  P'^«-«- 

but  there  was  pr;:^^^^^^ 

The  country  looked  hennfifj,!    i, 

s!.,,  „„„^.y5._^  gjj  euner  side. 


4«9 


THCNDBR-8T0BM. — AMERICAN  DRITER8. 


The  wood  predominated  in  the  track  we  passed ;  but  at  in- 
tervals small  patches  of  cleared  land  appeared,  the  trunks 
of  the  felled  trees  still  remaining  a  foot  or  two  above  the 
ground,  and  wheat,  barley,  rye,  and  grass  occupying  the 
general  surface.  Many  rivulets  crossed  the  road,  and  it  was 
deemed  a  sufficient  bridge  over  these  to  lay  along  a  few 
rough  trunks  of  trees  or  a  few  loose  planks ;  the  sensation 
of  passmg  over  which,  at  a  fall  trot,  and  sometimes  a  gallop, 
may  be  better  imagined  than  described. 

It  took  us  about  two  hours  and  a  half,  over  this  rugged 
road,  to  reach  the  foot  of  the  mountain ;  our  rate  of  speed, 
upon  the  whole,  therefore,  being  hardly  four  miles  an  hour. 
H^e  we  drew  up  at  an  inn,  and  supposed  that  a  pair  of 
fresh  horses,  if  not  the  entire  four,  would  have  been  put  in, 
to  complete  our  journey  up  the  steep  ascent ;  but  it  was  not 
the  custom  to  change  at  all,  as  it  had  been  found,  by  expe- 
rience, that  the  same  horses  could  perform  the  whole  dis- 
tance without  being  distressed.     We  accordingly  set  forth 
«gain  upon  our  way.     We  had  scarcely  commenced  the  as- 
<ieiit,  however,  before  the  clouds  began  to  lower  overhead, 
end  there  was  every  indication  of  an  approaching  thunder- 
storm.    In  less  than  half  an  hour  it  burst  upon  us  with  all 
itk  fury.    The  lightning  was  moat  vivid,  the  rattling  of  the 
thunder  deafening,  and  its  prolonged  reverberation  in  the 
hollows  of  the  surrounding  mountains,  grand  in  the  extreme. 
The  rain,  too,  fell  in  torrents,  the  drops  being  so  heavy  as 
to  make  an  impression  as  large  as  a  dollar  on  the  rocky 
masses  which  formed  part- of  our  road ;  and  these  were  suc- 
ceeded br  a  rattling  hail-shower,  which  completely  chlHed 
the  air.     Durinr;  the  first  burst  of  the  storm  the  horses  stop- 
ped ;  but  there*  being  a  guard  against  the  descent  of  the 
coach  behind,  in  tii«  shape  of  a  large  iron  fork,  which,  as 
the  coach  receded  backward,  plunged  into  the  road,  and 
prevented  its  going  farther,  we  were  at  easo  respecting  our 
safety.    The  driver  managed  his  team  not  only  with  great 
skill,  but  with  great  tenderness  also ;  for  he  permitted  them 
to  halt  for  breath  in  the  steep  ascent  every  five  minutes  at 
least ;  and  when  they  had  sufficiently  rested,  said  to  them, 
"  Come,  my  boys,  set  out  again,"  as  if  he  had  been  ad- 
dressing men  instead  of  cattle ;  and  the  horses  understood 
these  good  English  phrases  quite  as  well  as  the  unmeaning 
sounds  of  "gee-whoap>  gee-whoah,  and  meather-ho  I"  with 
which  Enghsh  carters  and  ploughmen  accost  their  beasts; 
and  once  or  twice  he  said,  "  Now  mind,  if  you  don't  get  us 
vrell  up  the, hill,  I  must  get  other*  that  will."    They  set  out 


CAT8KILL  MOUNTAINS. 


469 


invariably  at  the  word  of  command,  and  the  whip  was  not 

Tnt  tTflle":^"'  r"'*^^"  '^"'^'  ^~"»  the  cJnllce. 
S!  Ik  *-w-  ^r^t"*"'  Jouraey;  and  I  confess  I  thouirht 
the  substitution  of  the  vocal  organs  for  the  lash  a  great  S 
provement,  and  one  worthy  of  Sniversal  imitron  ^ 
.    Our  road  wound  up  the  mountain-side  with  a  steep  risinir 
or  ^cendmg  slope  of  rock,  clothed  with  wood  on  ourS 
hand  or  above  us,  and  deep  glens  and  ravines  with  a  s  S. 
lar  or  stiU  greater  profusion  of  wood,  on  our  kft  hand^r 
below  us;  the  road  often  going  on  the'  very  edge  of  a  pre! 
cipice  aeveral  hundred  feej  in  depth,  ovej  whVa  tiLS 
traveller  would  every  moment  expect  to  be  thrown      But 
no  accident  of  any  kind  has  occurred  on  this  mounrik  road 
for  many  years  past;  an  honourable  testimony  to  the  skUI 
sobriety,  and  care  of  the  drivers.  * 

About  half  way  up  the  ascent  we  became  completely  en- 
veloped  m  a  thin  blue  mist,  so  as  to  be  unable  to  see  a  do"! 
en  yards  before  us  Patches  of  this  would  sometimes  dew 
away,  and  then  unfold  to  us  peeps  of  beautiful  viewrthroug" 

leLr  ST^/^'^'T  ^^'^^^  ""•     T«  ^'^^^^f''"  succeeded  a 
second  thunder-storm,  more  violent  and  Im  heavier  rain 

our  slow  and  broken  pace  might  aptly  so  be  calledl-and 

mentarvXt;of'^""t''  "^^.^"^"S'  ^^»^'  '«'^"  «»dl- 
^nofX,^  IS-  of  sunshinr  and  mist,  we  reached  the  hotel 
called  the  Mountain  House  about  half  past  seven,  ha^g 
been  four  hours  and  a  half  performing  the  distance  of  S 
miles  from  the  landing..  We  found  here  a  small  pavty  of 
about  a  dozen  persons  only,  as  the  season  ^e.B  yet  early,  so 
that  we  had  an  ample  choice  of  rooms;  .  .  our  fatigue  was 
so  great  that  we  were  glad  to  retire  as  early  as  possible  af-  * 
ter  we  had  taken  refreshments,  to  rest.  P^ssioie,  al- 

onZ?o?Tl  *1;®  "^^f^  °^  ®""***y  ^^  *^«  Mountain  House,  as 
completely  shut  out  from  the  world  below  as  if  we  had  been  < 
elevated  to  another  planet;  for  the  mist  or  fog  continued  so  ' 
intense  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day  that  w^  could 
barely  see  the  foundations  of  the  house  we  occupied   and 
at  some  moments  the  mist  so  completely  enveloped  the  ' 

cnl'  i^/'/?-  "  n'f^'  '^.'^'  ^""^^  "«"«d  "'near  it  j 
could  be  distinguished,  so  that  our  dwelling  was  like  an  ' 

aerial  mansion  suspended  among  the  clouds/    I  never  re 

member  to  have  been  placed  in  any  situation  in  which  I  felt 

world.  "npfession  of  co^nplete  isolation  from  the 

The  hotel  is  a  InrirA  ^d^Rne,    hni'*  -f J    -  •■'  • 

o-  — 1-..---^-,  uuut  wi  wuuu,  wimin  a  lew 

40 


4ft(i 


MOUNTAIH  H0U8B.— -AllSRICAN  TABLES. 


feet  only  of  the  brink  of  a  precipice  of  perpendicular  rock| 
about  100  feet  in  depth,  overhanging  the  brow  of  the  mount' 
liin  below.  It  thus  stands  on  a  level  platform  of  rock,  which 
occupies  an  area  of  about  six  acres,  having  a  rising  elevation 
on  the  south,  and  several  higher  peaks  on  the  west,  but  the 
eastern  sl(^e  of  the  mountain  being  continuous  downward 
from  the  Mountain  House  to  the  plain.  The  elevation  of 
the  hotel  above  the  River  Hudson  is  2212  feet  measured  ba« 
rometrically ;  but  there  are  other  peaks  of  the  same  range 
of  mountains  in  the  vicinity  which  have  an  altitude  of  3800 
feet. 

The  Mountain  House  has  a  frontage  of  140  feet,  with  a 
depth  of  only  24 ;  so  that  it  is  extremely  narrow  in  propor- 
tion  to  its  length.  A  separate  wing  furnishes  a  series  of 
drawing-rooms,  of  the  extent  of  about  50  feet  by  20 ;  and 
there  is  a  large  verandah  or  piazza,  with  lofty  wooden  pil- 
lars, in  the  eastern  front  of  the  house,  for  the  promenade  of 
Visiters,  with  a  long  dining-room,  divided  by  a  rcmge  of  cen- 
tral pillars,  in  the  sub-area  or  lowermost  story ;  but  all  the 
upper  part  of  the  house  is  subdivided  into  very  small  bed- 
rooms tor  the  acconunodation  of  large  numbers,  to  the  extent, 
it  is  said,  of  200,  which  number  of  visiters  they  sometimes 
have  in  the  months  of  July  and  August ;  but  the  present  is 
considered  the  earliest  part  of  the  season,  when  few  persons 
lore  here. 

We  found  the  accommodation  more  agreeable  than  we 
had  anticipated,  as  the  rooms  and  beds  were  perfectly  clean, 
the  servants  numerous  and  attentive.  The  table,  however, 
was,  like  all  the  American  tables  of  hotels,  steamboats,  and 
boarding-houses  that  we  had  yet  seen,  more  remarkable  for 
superabundance  of  food  than  skill  or  delicacy  in  preparing 
it.  I  had  often  thought  that  we  might  be  too  fastidious  in 
our  tastes,  though  my  whole  family  were,  like  myself,  partial 
to  plain  dishes  and  simple  food,  and  in  England  were  al- 
ways classed  among  those  least  attached  to  the  pleasures  of 
the  table  ;  but,  though  the  native  Americans  are  generally  in- 
sensible to  the  defects  of  their  culinary  preparations,  all 
persons  who  have  travelled  in  Europe  return  deeply  convin- 
ced of  their  national  inferiority  in  th?<!i  particular. 

I  had  heard  this  from  a  hundred  native  Americans,  at  least, 
who  had  visited  England ;  but  as  the  published  testimony 
of  one  of  their  own  writers  will  be  deemed  of  more  force, 
perhaps,  than  any  private  opinions  that  could  be  adduced,  I 
venture  to  transcribe  the  observations  of  Mr.  James  Fenni- 
more  Cooper,  the  well-known  American  author,  who,  in  his 


'HIUCAM  COOXZRT. — sniMSE, 


471 


laat  wotk,  jusi  maei  fitom  the  pre»  under  the  title  of  "  Th« 
American  Democrat ,  or,  Hint,  on  the  Social  and  CivU  Ke! 
'^•^^""Ll^l^::  of  America,.h..  the^  ^^^ 

coupled  with  he  hSiaVof  hit  J  eat£T„^^  '"r  '^^  ^"^"^^  ^^^^^^' 
aw  the  causes  of  "he  disease  df  thlL^  l^  ''*^'"*"'  expectoration, 
The  science  of  the  table  eSTndifar^^^^^  w  Americ' 

tites,  as  the  school  of  mS™  induS  heiith  '»J"'l««««  «f  o"  appe- 

troduce  some  knowled^rorthe  kiS«^  th?J!!°  '^.*^"**  ?*^  »°  »°- 

the  people  of  the  United  States.    National  oha«pIi,  .^"      ^  *™°°* 
ure,  affected  by  a  knowledge  nfth«  aw  «?!:.•  ^^/  "i  "I  *°™«  '"ea*- 

My  own  experience  leads  me  to  concur  in  these  remarlr*- 

UDonrair'V'l'^^*^  ^"**  '"^^  °P^"-"  «f  their  JXS 
upon  health  and  character;  and  I  feel  persuaded  that  one 

of  the  most  valuable  reforms  that  could  be  effected  in  Amer! 
Z  Tunfry    ""  "'""^  "^  *'^  ^"^^""^  ^"'^  ^-^«*i<^  ^^^^^^ "^ 

alulirnW^i"'?  kJ  ^^'"^J^y'  *^^  1^^^  «^  J"»«»  ^e  were 
rtini^^sun^  olfSl.?**  '"  °'^'  V°  ""^^^  **»«  ^'^<^'  ^f  the 
m3ntoJ'»  ^?  ^'"^  °"*  °^  *^«  windows  the^ene  that 
presented  Itself  was  most  remarkable,  and  totallv  different 
from  anything  I  had  ever  before  witneLed    X^sky  above 

clouds,  as  in  the  finest  summer  mornings  of  England.     But 
of  the  earth  beneath  us  nothing  was  to%e  see„%xce^t  The 
piatlorm  on  whmh  on^  KaV»«t< —  -  .    -i.    r    ^  « 


rocky 


411 


CATBKILL  MOUNTAINS. 


BAtiall  portion  of  the  brow  of  the  hill  on  which  this  stood. 
All  the  rest  of  the  great  expanse  before  us,  extending  to  a 
distance  of  from  40  to  50  nriles,  was  covered  with  a  thick 
sea  of  perfectly  white  billows,  as  if  there  had  been  a  general 
deluge,  and  we  were  occupying  the  summit  of  the  Ararat 
which  alone  rose  above  the  wide  waste  of  waters  around  us. 
This  was  a  compact  and  continuous  stratum  of  fleecy  clouds, 
which  were  below  our  feet  instead  of  above  our  heads,  and 
Hrhich  literally  covered  the  earth  as  with  a  canopy,  and 
shrouded  it  entirely  from  our  view.  The  waves  of  this 
cloudy  sea  assumed,  too,  so  much  the  appearance  of  huge 
billows  rolling,  the  one  after  the  other  in  succession,  from 
west  to  east,  that,  excepting  in  the  colour  of  the  element, 
which  here  was  of  snowy  whiteness  instead  of  blue,  it  was 
like  looking  down  from  a  ship's  mast-head  on  the  turbulence 
of  the  Southern  Ocean  in  a  tempest  off  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  or  like  a  view  of  the  great  sea,  seen  in  its  most  vio- 
lent agitation  from  the  summit  of  the  Table  Mountain  that 
overhangs  the  promontory  named.  It  was  altogether  the 
most  striking  and  impressive  scene  I  had  ever  beheld,  and 
could  never  be  forgotten  if  life  were  prolonged  to  a  thousand 
years. 

While  we  were  gazing  with  unspeakable  admiration  on 
this  singular  and  beautiful  cloudy  sea^  the  increasing  light  of 
the  eastern  horizon  betokened  the  near  approach  of  the  sun. 
All  eyes  were  accordingly  turned  to  that  direction,  and  in  a 
few  moments  the  bright  and  splendid  orb  rose  up  from  his 
eastern  bed,  with  a  fulness  of  glory  that  seemed  like  the 
dawn  of  4.  new  creation.  There  were  accumulated,  in  the 
immediate  quarter  of  the  heavens  where  the  sun  arose,  a  se- 
ries of  strata  in  the  clouds,  of  different  shapes,  densities,  and 
distances,  which  produced  a  variety  of  lights  and  tints,  from 
the  palest  amber  to  the  deepest  purple ;  and  caused  the 
straight  edges  of  some,  and  the  wavy  or  undulated  edges  of 
others,  to  be  tipped  with  the  brightest  lustre,  sometimes  of 
silver,  sometimes  of  paler,  and  sometimes  of  deeper  gold,  so 
as  to  form  altogether  one  of  the  most  gorgeous  and  splendid 
skies  that  could  be  imagined ;  while  overhead  in  the  zenith, 
and  in  every  other  quarter  but  the  east,  a  serene  azure,  over 
which  sailed  clouds  of  fleecy  whiteness,  completed  the  beauty 
of  the  picture. 

At  the  same  time,  the  billowy  surface  of  the  cloudy  sea 
beneath  our  feet,  still  completely  hiding  every  spot  of  the 
earth*  from  our  view,  was  made  so  radiant  with  the  slanting 
beams  of  the  rising  sun  thrown  horizontally  along  its  waves, 


BINOULAa  SKA  OF  ChOVDS.  41^3 

that  they  looked  like  a  sea  of  the  briehteiit  .n««  k      • 
and  roUing  in  some  places  i„  roundedt  1  ^^'in^'^^ 
flinging  up  their  spiral  points  to  the  sky;  Uke  Z  „^fl*?^?^ 

b.W,  the  green^5d,  and  ffiok  tS  Utn/eT"" 
houses,  ju.t  visible  as  white  spots  JtlecMed  dW„ 

^T^  ttTertS:^  ^^-  i-rthT^^o- tsi  rti:^^ 

ted^^aSrSiI^'JuU  ^°l'  '^  *.^^  "^°"^^  ^^^^  ««  ^«'«  dissipa. 
lea,  and  the  full  glory  of  a  meridian  sun  beamed  down 

Vol  lU  O  "^«°«'^«<*-    Behind  us,  to  the  west- 


I 


#>' 


GLORIOUS  PROIPKOT. 

ward,  rose  the  peaks  of  mountains,  higher  by  a  thousand 
feet  and  more  than  the  summit  of  that  on  which  we  stood, 
and  completely  intercepting  all  farther  view  in  that  direc- 
tion. To  thf  east,  however,  the  prospect  was  aUnost  bound- 
lesSf  At  the  foot  of  the  steep  slope  of  the  range  beneath 
our  feet  commenced  the  cultivated  plain,  covered  with  clear- 
ed land,  in  farms  of  different  sizes  and  in  different  degrees 
of  cultivation,  interspersed  with  patches  of  thick  wood,  of 
variegated  trees,  and  dotted  over  with  farmhouses,  country 
residences,  and  other  buildings.  This  plain  continued  for 
seven  or  eight  miles  in  a  «traight  line,  till  it  reached  the 
western  bank  of  the  Hudson. 

Beyond  that  stream  the  lands,  equally  fertile,  and  as  ex- 
tensively cleared  and  cultivated,  rose  gradually  in  an  as- 
cending slope  till  it  terminated  in  a  range  of  hills  at  a  dis- 
tance of  forty  or  fifty  miles,  intercepting  the  eastern  hori- 
zon, and  bounding  the  view  in  that  direction.  In  the  cen- 
tre of  the  valley  or  plain,  and  between  these  distant  ranges 
of  eastern  and  western  elevation,  flowed  down  the  noble 
river,  which  could  be  distinctly  traced  along  its  path  for 
thirty  miles  at  least,  here  contracting  its  channel  between 
abrupt  projecting  bluffs,  there  expanding  it  into  ample  bays, 
and  several  times  throughout  its  length  having  its  current 
mterrupted  by  beautifully-fertile  islands,  while  its  surface 
was  studded  with  at  least  a  hundred  sails  as  white  as  the 
firesh-fallen  snow,  floatmg  on  its  glassy  bosom  like  so  many 
buoyant  pearls. 

Altogether  the  prospect  was  enchanting,  and  worth  going 
a  hundred  miles  to  see.  It  reminded  me,  more  strongly 
than  any  other  scene  I  remember,  of  the  view  of  the  plain 
of  Damascus  from  the  summits  of  the  hills  by  which  it  is 
environed.  It  wanted,  it  is  true,  the  camel,  the  dromedary, 
and  the  herds  and  flocks  of  that  Eastern  picture,  as  well  as 
the  meandering  and  pellucid  streams  of  the  Pharpar  and 
Abana,  and  the  gorgeous  and  glittering  ^ity  of  domes  and 
palaces,  environed  with  its  cypress  groves  and  citron  gar- 
dens in  the  centre;  but  still,  even  with  the  absence  of  these, 
the  resemblance  was  striking,  and  to  say  this  is  to  admit 
that  it  was  as  grand  and  beautiful  as  any  scene  in  nature 
can  be. 

About  two  miles  from  the  Mountain  House  is  a  fine  wa- 
I  terfall,  which  the  nature  of  the  road  to  it,  and  my  own  state 
'  of  health  at  the  present  moment,  did  not  admit  of  my  visit- 
ing.    My  wife  and  son,  however,  joined  a  party  from  the 
hotel  in  an  excursion  there,  and  were  highly  gratified.     The 


'# 


•ATiKUt  Wti,S.-.MaARK  FOR-  ALBANT. 


475 


cavernous  hollow  from  which  the  fall  is  seen,  the  semicirm.' 

^e  S:r eS'rod  "Xt  '^  *'^  '^"^^^^  e;,rnbin:rns  of 
ine  Clustered  wood,  and  the  imposing  aspect  of  the  cataract 

Son  Ar^i*''**^  *^?  ^*P"^*«  ^^"«  °^  175  feet  tTa  p  o  ec 
tion  of  shelvuig  rock,  and  from  thence  of  85  feet  to  the  hot 
torn  complete  a  descent  of  260  feet  in  the  who  e^  and  the 
e     th^Z''""!  h«^i"g/"'n«hed  an  abundant  supply  of  wa! 
ter,  the  cataract  was  witnessed  to  the  greatest  advantage 

Soon  after  noon  we  left  the  Mountain  House  for  theTier 
to  embark  for  Albany.    On  our  way  down,  the  bright  sun 

IrmfV^^  "^T'  ?^^^  *  pleasing  contrast  to  the  thunder^ 
storms  and  mists  of  our  ascent.     We  found  the  way  there 
fore,  more  agreeable  ;  but  on  ,  .'  road  from  the  foi^^*  of  th« 

rrTrrredtf  r'  ^  oislocatingTolt^anTsho  £ 
were  repeated,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  had  been  more 

S^b  LToner?K''y/^^  "^^  °^*^^^^^  ™"««  than  I  c™uM 
be^m  Europe  by  the  longest  journey  that  could  be  under- 

nnJfVT^^i^^^ 7^^^  ^^  t^«  landing-place  about  three 
rp  P^vf  f  r'^T  ^'^'^  New-York  arriving  soon  after  we 
re-embarked  and  proceeded  onward  to  Albany  wi?h  a  still 

inf  f.  """"Jr"?^  °^  passengers,  and  in  a  larger  rdfoier 
boat  tnan  that  in  which  we  had  come  thus  far.^ 
From  Catskill  to  Albany  the  river  appeared  narrower  th«„ 


479 


ttV  D50N.— -ATHINIc 


below,  and  the  banks  becpme  more  tame  in  scenery ;  but 
they  everywhere  preserve  the  most  exuberant  fertility,  and 
are  thickly  interspersed  with  towns,  villages,  hamlets,  and 
single  dwellings. 

About  five  miles  beyond  Catskill,  to  the  north,  are  two 
towns,  occupying  opposite  banks  of  the  river,  that  on  the 
east  being  the  City  of  Hudson,  of  Dutch  foundation,  and 
called  after  the  navigator  who  has  given  his  name  to  tlie  riv- 
er, and  that  on  the  west  being  the  incorporated  village  of 
Athens.  The  first  of  these,  which  contains  about  6000  in- 
habitants, exhibits  in  its  architecture  and  the  colouring  of 
its  houses  the  origin  from  whence  it  has  sprung.  The  latter, 
containing  about  1000  inhabitants,  is  of  much  more  recent 
date,  and  exhibits,  accordinffly,  a  newness  and  freshness  in 
the  style  and  hue  of  its  buildings,'  which  make  it  look  gay- 
er and  lighter  than  its  opposite  neighbour. 

To  be  called  upon  by  some  fellow-passenger  to  look 
around  and  see  Athens,  appears  at  first  like  a  joke,  it  seems 
so  difiicult  to  separate  from  the  sound  of  that  word  the  glo- 
ries of  the  immortal  city  of  Minerva,  with  its  frowning  Acrop- 
olis, its  beautiful  Parthenon,  its  temple  of  Theseus,  and  its 
classically-sacred  associations.  The  very  name  conjures  up 
the  shades  of  Pericles,  Phidias,  and  Praxiteles,  and  the 
imagination  wanders  through  the  gardens,  and  listens  in  the 
portico  to  the  great  teachers  of  the  several  schools  of  Gre- 
cian philosophy,  to  Socrates  and  Plato,  to  Aristotle  and 
Zeno ;  frbm  thence  passes  on  to  the  theatre,  and  hangs  with 
delight  on  the  tragic  glories  of  Euripides,  ^schylus,  and 
Sophocles ;  to  the  Areopagus  and  Agora,  to  hear  the  thun- 
ders of  Demosthenes  against  Philip,  or  to  the  Hill  of  Mars, 
to  listen  to  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  unfolding  to  ihe 
inquisitive  Athenians  the  nature,  attributes,  and  purposes  of 
the  Infinte  Being  to  whom  they  had  dedicated  an  altar  with 
the  inscription,  "  To  the  Unknown  God."  But  all  this 
dream  of  the  imagination  vanishes  the  moment  the  eye  re- 
poses on  the  humble  village  which  here  assumes  this  impo- 
sing name. 

It  is  not  peculiar,  however,  to  any  part  of  America  more 
than  another,  thus  to  appropriate  to  itself  the  most  renowned 
names  of  history  for  their  cities,  towns,  and  villages ;  every- 
where this  singularly  ill-directed  taste  is  apparent.  From 
New- York  to  Albany,  within  the  compass  of  a  single  day's 
journey,  including  the  valley  of  the  Hudson  and  its  neigh- 
bourhood, we  have  Babylon  and  Jericho,  Salem,  Lebanon, 
Crilboa,  Carmel,  Goshen,  Athens,  and  Troy,  with  a  railroad 


miPlTITION   or   NAMM.— AERITAL  AT  ALBANY. 


in 


to  Syracuse,  Utica,  and  Rome,  from  among  the  ancient  cit- 
ies and  places  of  celebrity ;  and  Oxford,  Canterbury,  Balis- 
bury,  Windsor,  Hamburgh,  Hyde  f  ark,  Kingston,  Glasgow, 
Bristol,  Durham,  Cairo,  Bath,  Cambridge,  and  Waterford 
from  among  the  modern.  The  evil  of  this  is  increased  by 
the  constant  repetition  of  the  same  practice  in  different 
states,  so  that  there  are  no  less  than  14  places  bearing  the 
name  of  Athens,  and  nine  of  Rome,  besides  a  Romeo  and  a 
Romulus,  14  Palmyras,  12  Alexandrias,  four  of  Damascus, 
two  of  Joppa,  and  three  of  Jerusalem.        <    -  > . 

In  the  names  of  more  modern  cities  the  repetitions  are 
even  still  greater,  but  the  most  multiplied  of  all  are  those  in 
which  towns  are  called  after  distinguished  political  leaders, 
of  which  it  may  be  sufficient  to  mention  as  an  example  that 
there  are  no  less  than  fifteen  Jefferson  counties  and  forty 
Jefferson  towns,  eight  Jackson  counties  and  sixty-six  Jack- 
sons  or  JacksonviUes ;    twenty  Washington  counties  and 
eighty  Washington  towns,  in  addition  to  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington in  the  District  of  Columbia,  which  is  the  seat  of  the 
General  Government.     The  greatest  confusion  already  re- 
sults from  this  tautological  nomenclature  ;  and  the  evil  will 
increase  with  every  succeeding  year,  till  it  forces  some  re- 
form.    It  18  the  less  excusable,  also,  as  the  Indian  names 
are  sufficiently  varied  and  beiiutiful  to  admit  of  constant 
adoption. 

At  five  o'clock  we  came  in  sight  of  Albany,  having  passed 
several  small  villages  and  landing-places  on  the  way,  and 
rapidly  approached  the  town.  The  appearance  presented 
by  it  was  interesting  and  full  of  promise.  The  slope  of  the 
western  bank,  on  which  it  stands,  represents  a  city  rising 
upward  from  the  shore  of  the  river  to  an  elevated  ridge  of 
land,  and  the  number  of  towers  and  domes  scattered  among 
the  general  mass  of  dwellings,  one  of  them  that  of  the  City 
Mall,  having  Its  surface  gilded,  and  several  others  of  a  bur- 
nished and  dazzUng  white,  being  overlaid  with  plating  of 

^^"a  *u  ,if^"'  ^^®  *°  *^®  ^^°^®  ^  ^®'y  l>"Uiant  aspect. 

At  half  past  five  we  reached  the  wharf,  the  boat  having 
accomplished  her  voyage  from  New- York,  of  about  150 
miles,  in  a  period  of  ten  hours  and  a  half,  going,  therefore, 
nearly  fifteen  miles  an  hour  the  whole  way.  This  triumph 
of  steam  navigation  is  felt  in  its  fullest  force  by  a  voyage 
upon  the  Hudson,  and  especially  on  arriving  at  Albany,  as 
It  IS  the  very  route  on  which  the  first  experiment  was  made, 
the  record  of  which  is  at  once  so  affecting  and  so  instruc- 
tive that  it  cannot  Ha  mnrlo  *nn  miAa\,T  U» mu..    --1- 


m 


tIRST  8TSAMB0AT  ON  THE  flVSSON. 


brated  Pulton,  who  was  the  first  to  make  this  experiment, 
thus  describes  its  progress  and  issue  in  a  letter  to  his  friend. 
Judge  Story : 

"  When  I  was  building  my  first  steamboat,"  says  he,  "the 
project  was  viewed  by  the  public  at  New- York  either  with 
indifference  or  contempt,  as  a  visionary  scheme.  My  friends, 
indeed,  were  civil,  but  they  were  shy ;  they  listened  wit^ 
patience  to  my  explanations,  but  with  a  settled  cast  of 
incredulity  on  their  countenances.  I  felt  the  full  force  of 
the  lamentation  of  the  poet, 

•  Trathi  woald  jrou  teach  to  Mre  a  ainking  land, 
'All  ahno,  noM  aid  jrou,  and  few  underatand.' 

"  As  I  had  occasion  to  pass  daily  to  and  from  the  build- 
ing-yard while  my  boat  was  in  progress,  I  have  often  loiter- 
ed unknown  near  the  idle  groups  of  strangers  gathering  in 
little  curcles,  and  heard  various  inquiries  as  to  the  object  of 
this  new  vehicle.  The  language  was  uniformly  that  of 
scorn,  sneer,  or  ridicule.  The  loud  laugh  rooe  at  my  ex- 
pense ;  the  dry  jest ;  the  wise  calculation  of  losses  and  ex- 
penditure ;  the  dull  but  endless  repetition  of  '  The  Fulton 
Folly.'  Never  did  a  single  encouraging  remark,  or  bright 
hope,  or  warm  wish  cross  my  path. 

"  At  length  the  day  arrived  when  the  experiment  was  to 
be  made.     To  me  it  was  a  most  trying  and  interesting  oc- 
casion.    I  wanted  my  friends  to  go  on  board  and  witness 
the  first  successful  trip.    Mrny  of  them  did  me  the  favour 
to  attend  as  a  matter  of  personal  respect,  but  it  was  mani- 
fest that  they  did  it  with  reluctance,  fearing  to  be  partners 
of  my  mortification  and  not  of  my  triumph.    I  was  well 
aware  that  in  my  case  there  were  many  reasons  to  doubt  of 
my  own  success.     The  machinery  was  new  and  ill-madci 
and  many  parts  of  it  were  constructed  by  mechanics  unac- 
quainted with  such  work  j  and  unexpected  difficulties  might 
reasonably  be  presumed  to  present  themselves  from  other 
causes.     The  moment  arrived  in  which  the  word  was  to  be 
given  for  the  vessel  to  move.     My  friends  were  in  groups 
on  the  deck.    There  was  anxiety  mixed  with  fear  among 
them.    They  were  silent,  sad,  and  weary.     I  read  in  their 
looks  nothing  but  disaster,  and  almost  repented  of  my  ef- 
forts.    The  signal  was  given,  and  the  boat  moved  on  a  short! 
distance,  and  then  stopped,  and  became  immovable.     To^ 
the  silence  of  the  preceding  moment  now  succeeded  mur- 
murs of  discontent  and  agitation,  and  whispers  and  shrugs,^ 
I  could  hear  distinctly  repeated,  *  I  told  you  so — it  is  a  fooK 

uh   M>h(>mf>i^T  iviah   tvn   ivAro  -wall    nnt  nf  it  '      T  AlA«.«tA<f' 


ALBANY. 


47g 


myself  on  a  platform,  and  stated  that  I  knew  not  what  was 
he  matter  ;  but  if  they  would  be  quiet  and  indulge  mel^^ 
half  an  hour,  I  would  either  go  on  or  abandon^thrvoy! 
age.  1  went  below,  and  ascertained  that  a  slight  maladiust- 
rfrrS^^V^r-  It  wa«  obviated.  The  boarwent  on  " 
we  left  New. York;  we  passed  through  the  Highland?-  we 
reached  A  bany !  Yet  even  then,  imagination  supersidrd 
the  force  of  fact.    It  was  doubted  if  it  coul4  be  donragaln  • 

If  iT^^  ^%  T^\  ^"  !."y  ""«^'  °^  «»y  er'^'  value?'  ' 
frorn  fhl  T  7^  ^f  ^^^'^  ''°"^^^"«  ^"«"d«  °ould  be  raised 
froni  the  dead,  and  witness  now  the  triumphs  of  steam  on 

TrJ«  ♦r^"^*'!  Mississippi,  the  Ganges,  the  IndusTthe 
♦hoT'  the  Euphrates,  and  the  NUe,  and?  still  later,  across 
the  broad  Atlantic,  the  sensations  of  boJh  would  be  very 
different  to  those  by  which  they  were  animated  on  the  S 
experimental  voyage.  "' 

We  landed  at  the  outer  wharf  r  Albany,  amid  a  crowd 
of  competitors  for  the  favour  of  conaucting  us  to  the  hS 
the  stage,  or  the  railroad ;  and,  after  crossing  the  long  wood! 

Canal,  we  drove  to  an  excellent  house  in  Pearl-street,  N^! 
59,  formerly  the  residence  of  the  late  governor,  De  Wh 
Cljnton,  m  which,  indeed,  he  erdcd  his  useful  and  honour" 
?or^,  fh'  ^l^^r^T^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^d^tions  provTded 
inp  nftl^"'^  ^?  ^'''  I^P^kwood,  we  took  Up  our  abode  in 
one  of  the  most  agreeable  homes  that  we  had  yet  found  sLce 
our  landing  in  the  United  States.  ^ 


APP^NDIX.^VOL.  I. 


No.  I. 

Of  our  Indian  e^re.  .„^d  itvXrce^^"^^^^^^^^^ 

ON  ..HOLDINa  TH.   SHOWS   OF   MOiaND  A,T«  «  ..,„„   O,  MANY  T.ABS. 

(W^rttten  on  Wrd  /A«  »hip  Sir  Edward  Paget.) 
H*iL  I  loTeliest  gem  that  studs  tho  sea. 
Isle  of  the  braT«,  the  just,  the  free ! 
Whose  suige-lash'd  clifls  at  length  arise 
4,?  8^*  once  more  my  longing  eyes : 
i  hough  Time  my  brow  hss  silver'd  o'ei 
Smce  last  I  trod  thy  hsppy  shor«, 
And  ev'ry  change  of  weal  or  wo, 
ITiat  heart  can  feel  or  man  ceo  know. 
Has  checker'd  thick  the  deviotis  way 

rhrough  which  my  weary  wanderings  k»  : 
li  et,  while  by  fortune  drir'n  to  roam. 
My  bosom  knew  one  only  home, 
And  ever,  as  my  coarse  might  nxun, 
StiU  turn'd  to  thee,  and  knew  nochMige. 

Fair  Lusitania's  hills  imbrown'd, 

Sicilia,  breathmg  love  and  smUes,  ' 

And  Greece,  with  all  her  sea  of  isles. 
Have  seen  my  bark's  progressive  way 
Along  their  coasts,  by  cape  and  bay. 

Ojd  Egypt  next,  and  Nile's  great  stream, 
Whose  wonders  yet  appear  a  dream. 
Where  Cleopatra'a  'wuching  power 
StUl  seem,  to  haunt  each  grove  and  bower. 
Where  pyramids  and  temples  rise  ' 

10  mwk  the  earth  and  brave  the  skies^ 

Allured  ray  hopes  of  promised  gain. 
By  visions,  like  ite  glories,  vain. 

Then  Palestine's  more  sacred  vales. 

And  Lebanon's  soft  balmy  gales, 

Jordan's  clear  stream,  dew-d  Hermon's  mountuo. 

Zion's  high  hill,  and  Siloa's  fountain,     ""™"^ 

With  scenes  revered  in  every  age. 

Repaid  my  weary  pilgrimage ; 

Till  Syria's  fertile  regions  caie, 

Water'd  by  fair  Orontes'  stream ; 

And  Tigris  and  Euphrates  flow'd 
y      J     3  ^""8  »e  vwioua  paths  I  trod ; 


482  APPBNMX. 

Where  Nineveh  of  old  wii  placed. 
And  Babylon's  ruin'd  heaps  are  traced, 
Where  Bagdad's  minarets  atill  show 
The  Crescent — of  the  Cross  the  foe. 

From  thence,  through  Persia's  lai  '  of  song, 

I  led  my  lengthen'd  way  along. 

Where  Ispahan's  imperial  halls. 

Her  verdant  bowers  and  mirror'd  walls, 

And  gay  Shirauz,  where  Hafiz  strung 

His  *'  orient  pearls,"  and  sweetly  sung : 

Arabia's  gum-distilling  trees, 

And  Serendib's  rich'  spicy  breete, 

With  golden  India's  ample  field 

Of  wealth,  and  all  that  wealth  can  yield, 

Charro'd  every  sense,  and  would  have  won 

Less  ardent  bosoms  than  my  own ; 

But  that  dear  Albion's  freer  sky 

Rose  ever  to  my  memory, 

And  bade  me  turn  from  lands  enslaved, 

To  that  loved  rock  by  ocean  laved, 

Where,  though  by  storms  and  tempests  riven, 

Man  can  erect  his  front  to  heaven ; 

^nd  where  the  monarch  on  the  throne 

Rules  for  the  many,  not  for  one. 

Hail !  then,  again,  bless'd  bland,  hail ! 
Speed,  speed  our  flight,  propitious  gale ! 
Bid  laxy  Time's  slow,  lasging  wheel 
Fly  like  the  lightning  wiUi  our  k^l, 
Till  I  shall  touch  my  native  earth, 
And  tread  the  land  that  gave  me  birth ; 
Escaped  from  Slavery's  uinted  air, 
To  plead  the  wronga  of  Freedom  ihen : 
(For  there,  at  least,  her  holv  cause 
May  claim  an  ear)  till  equal  laws 
Extend  o'er  Asia's  vast  domains. 
Now  fetter'd  with  degrading  chains, 
Where  Britons,  elsewhere  free  and  brave, 
Must  tremble  like  the  abject  slave. 
Desert  their  country's  dearest  pride, 
And  lick  the  dust  when  tyrants  chide. 

Oh !  never,  never,  while  the  glow 
Of  health  around  my  heart  shall  flow, 
While  my  warm  pulses  freely  beat, 
And  Reason  still  retains  her  seat. 
Never  shall  that  bless'd  gift  of  Heaven, 
Which  God  to  man  has  freely  given 
For  nobler  cause  than  war  or  strife, 
Be  yielded  up— but  with  my  life. 
A  willing  victim,  then,  I  come, 
Though  to  a  less  luxurious  home ; 
And  ever,  when  the  choice  shall  be 
For  exile,  death,  or  slavery, 
Oh  God !  do  thou  the  firmness  give, 
Still  to  be  free — or  not  to  live. 


Brituk  Channel,  Jttne  25,  1833. 


J.   S.  BCCIINSRAH. 


APPENDIX. 


483 


No.  II. 

The  opposite  feelings  of  hope  and  despair  were  felt  by  me,  in  all  their  contrasted 
force,  on  the  two  occasions  of  my  fiist  aniving  in  sisht  of  England  in  1883,  and  on 
my  loaing  sight  of  iu  white  cliffs  again  in  1837.  The  intervening  period  of  four- 
teen years  wis  p«»sed  in  fruitless  efforts  to  obuin  redress  for  the  unjust,  and— as 
many  even  of  the  actors  in  the  scene  now  admit— unnecessary  destruction  of  my 
properw  in  India,  to  the  extent  of  £40,000  sterling,  with  the  refusal  of  the  East 
India  Company  to  grant  me  even  permission  to  return  to  that  country  for  a  few 
months,  to  collect  in  the  scattered  debts  due  to  me,  and  realize  the  email  amount 
which  might  be  aaved  from  the  general  wreck  of  my  concerns. 

In  the  mean  time,  discussions  had  taken  place  at  the  India  House,  in  which  Sir 
Charts  Forbes,  Sir  Henry  Strachey,  Sir  John  Doyle,  Colonel  Leicester  Stanhope, 
Mr.  Hume,  Mr.  John  Smith,  the  chairman  of  the  London  bankers,  Mr.  Douglas 
Kinnaird,  and  other  large  proprietors  of  East  India  Stock,  advocated  my  ctatms  to 
redress  for  the  injuries  I  had  received.  After  this,  my  case  was  brought  before  the 
House  of  Commons  on  two  successive  occasions;  and  a  committee  of  the  House, 
after  a  patient  examination  of  the  facts,  and  hearing  evidence  on  both  sides— with 
the  minister  for  Indian  affairs.  Lord  Glenelg,  at  their  head— drew  up,  and  paased 
unanimously,  a  series  of  resolutions,  declaring  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the  East  India 
Company  to  grant  me  compensation  for  the  destruction  of  my  property  in  Bengal. 

The  Parliamentary  and  public  proceedings  on  this  case  would  nil  a  large  volume 
if  given  in  deUil;  but  it  will  be  sufficient  for  the  present  purpose  to  select,  from 
the  multiplied  testimonies  that  are  on  record  on  this  subject,  the  few  given  by  per- 
sons enjoymg  the  best  possible  opportunities  of  knowing  the  facu,  namely,  Lord 
Durham,  who  first  introduced  the  case  to  the  House  of  Commons  as  Mr.  Larobton; 
Lord  Denman,  and  Lord  Abinger,  both  then  members  of  the  House,  though  since 
elevated  to  the  bench  and  the  peerage ;  Mr.  J.  B.  Lewin,  formerly  advocate-general  in 
India,  and  intimately  acquainted  with  iU  laws ;  Mr.  Douglas  Kinnaird,  who  first 
brought  the  ease  before  the  proprietors  of  East  India  Stock  at  the  India  Hoose ; 
Lord  John  Russell,  as  chairman  of  the  first  Parliamentary  Committee,  by  whose 
hands,  aa  a  miniater  of  the  crown,  the  resolutions  of  the  second  Parliamentary 
Committee  were  drawn  up,  declaring  that  compensation  ought  to  be  granted  by  the 
East  India  Company ;  and,  lastly.  Lord  William  Bentinck,  the  governor-general  of 
India,  than  whom  it  was  impossible  to  select  a  more  competent  or  more  impartial 
judge.  These  are  brief  extracu  from  their  respective  speeches. 
Mb.  Lahbton,  late  Lobd  Ddbhak. 
'*  Mr.  Buckinghani  has  been  the  victim  of  the  most  cruel  oppret$im,  not  war- 
ranted by  sound  policy  or  expediency,  but  arising  from  a  wanton  and  aggravated 
spirit  of  despotism.  If  such  things  are  allowed  to  go  unredressed,  it  is  idle  to  talk 
of  the  responsibility  of  the  Indian  government.  I  do  mainuin  that  Mr.  Buckingham 
has  suffered  from  the  grossest  tyranny,  and  that  to  suffer  the  repetition  of  suc'a  prac- 
tices is  to  endanger  the  very  exutence  of  the  empire." 

Mb.  Dbnman,  now  Lobo  Dinman. 

"  Mr.  Buckingham  had  been  torn  from  his  business,  from  his  friends,  from  all  hia 
hopes,  and  had  been  sent  to  a  distant  country,  where  he  was  ruined,  and  was,  per- 
haps, on  the  very  verge  of  beggary.  It  waa  horrible  to  hear  of  such  things.  It  was 
horrible  to  see  anything  like  an  attempt  to  introduce  into  this  country  that  Indian 
atmosphere,  which  he,  for  one,  wis  not  prepared  to  breathe.  He  considered  this  to 
be  one  of  the  most  cruel,  oppressive,  ana  unjustifiable  acts  which  he  had  ever  known 
to  have  been  committed  by  a  British  governor  in  the  history  of  the  colonies,  bad  aa 
they  were." 

Mb.  Scablbtt,  now  Loan  Abinobb. 

"  Mr.  Scarlett  observed,  that  no  action  could  be  brought  against  the  government 
of  India  for  the  exercise  of  that  prerogative,  and  the  only  mode  of  redress,  therefore, 
left  waa  that  stated  by  the  noble  lord,  a  select  committee  of  inquiry.  He  was  sur- 
prised that  the  House,  who  were  said  to  be  the  guardians  of  the  lives,  the  liberties, 
and  properties  of  the  people,  could  hear  one  clause  of  the  petition  read  without  in- 
aUutly  affording  the  petitioner  the  means  of  redress.  The  petitioner  stated  that  ho 
WM  baniahed  from  India  himself,  and  that  the  license  or  r.o"vri''ht  of  his  Joumsl  ws: 
taken  from  him  and  co-proprietors,  without  compensation,  and  presented  as  a  gift  to 


APPENDIX. 


Ae  son-in-ltw  of  one  of  the  memben  of  the  gOTenunent  Could  the  House  endiu* 
thu  •utement  without  endeavouring  to  aweruin  its  troth  1  Not  only  was  he  banX 
ed.  but  the  most  valuable  p»t  of  the  property  he  left  behind  him  Z  also  uken 
STTJ?- V''""i  consideration.    If  these  aUtements  were  proved,  the  government 

„^     .  Mb.  J.  B.  Lbwim. 

On  the  private  and  public  meriu  of  Mr.  Buckingham  we  are  all  aiireed  The 
til  £f"I!S'u**"*"^"  ?  ".whether  any  pubUc  man  could  have  braveS better  than 
i.^hJl"''!?  *•  P^'^"""  difficulties  of  his  situation.  Do  you  not  yearn  with  sym? 
pathy  towaids  a  man  whose  pnvate  conduct  has  been  admitted  on  all  hands  to  be 
h!!^'!^  ■^ET'f  "^  •.™*  *•»•?  P""f«  conduct,  though  open  and  mauly  in  the  extreme. 
r»^  u''"5*"*'"".V  '»'•"»''«»»'"''«  but  suffering  and  disappointment?  Mr.  Buck- 
Mgham  has  done  well  and  suffered  well  for  your  aakes.  Be  it  yours  to  provide  that 
he  IS  -I*  indemnified  weU  for  the  losses  he'hu  sustdned.  If  eveS^aZ  d.«S,JS 
the  auppoit  of  his  fellow-countrymen,  it  is  Mr.  Buckingham."  "-i^eu 

,.%t     n     .  •      .^        '""■  HOHOOEABW  DoUOLAS  KiN NAIBD. 

JJ^lS^u^  "  5"""*^  '"  •yW'hy  ••  •  gentleman  of  nnimpeaehed  char. 
^^i.  ^J!?rT'  ""^'^u  «"■  *  '^"^^^'  r'*°»*  •*'»« '"  '"y  degWthe  author 
%  J  n  "'•J"""""*-  There  is  not  a  single  India  dirMtor  who  wouW  not,  with 
!„.  «f  tS^^.T^'rT?  """P"""*""".  •>?»  fo'this  reason,  that  thoy  dare  not  censuro 
-i?„  r  ^!  "'•  "^  *'^"  •*5""'\  ■''"'•'*•  T*"""  »  »«>'  "  individusl  director  wi^ 
w^liiJVKTJT"^  t°  i"*^  •«•»]<«»•  '*'"'  ^'^  ""^  "y  'hat  Mr.  Buckingham'. 
was  one  of  the  hardest  eases  ha  had  ever  heard  of.  They  all  acknowlodse  tl^t  ther 
have  not  a  word  to  say  against  him  as  a  man  and  a  gentleman ;  they  w^d  willini^ 
meet  him  on  friendly  terms  m  a  private  room ;  but  ley  say,  if  wesLrd  him  wd«M 

"  It  haa  been  said  that  Lord  Hastings,  if  he  had  remained  in  India,  would  have 
found  it  necesMnr  to  bamsh  Mr,  BoekSgham,  a.  had  been  done  ^  L  wccessJ" 
But  I  have  It  under  Lord  Hastings  a  own  hand,  that  Mr.  Buckingham  n.w^e 
wiything,  and  he,  Lord  Huting.,  believed  that  he  never  would  havf  written  a"yS 
which  could  induce  him  to  resort  to  so  severe  a  measure.  For  my  own  part,  havini 
had  frequent  and  almost  umhtermpted  personal  intercourse  with  Mr.  riuckin.ham 
from  the  moment  of  hia  arrival  in  this  country  up  to  the  present  period,  I  can  dfclani 
S.-  J  ?'T  T'^.**  '  g^Hleman  who.  under  the  difficulties  wd  distresseTwiS 
whwh  he  has  had  to  contend.  beh«v«l  with  more  consistency  and  uprightnTss;  or 
Su!^  l^^ dispo«tKm  to  behave  in  a  fair  and  conciliatoi^ manner.  "^I  "rnV. 
SiJ^i"  '''i^  ^^  '•^'"  "^^  ^^'^  '•"»  P""'''  «y«»  ^«>'  •»  >«»»«  •  period,  wth 

omble  ^  "*""      *»^  "*  P»i"» ««» "y  «»  of  bis  act;  as  dishon! 

LoBD  JoHK  RoasBLL,  Chaibman  or  THE  Pabliambntabt  Committbb 
«•»  '"Li  T  ~"""  '"  P?**""'""  of  •"  the  facts  which  were  laid  before  the'com- 
inittee,  and  I  am  prepared  to  atate  that,  having  listened  attentively  to  all  that  trana- 
pired  in  the  committee,  my  opinion  of  the  hardships  auffered  by  Mr.  Buckingham  is. 
^^^^^  *'*^^'  '?S^^"'^  "trengthen^,  by  the  e/perience  and  knowl' 
edge  I  have  thus  acquired.  What  we  have  met  here  to  conaid!»  is  the  great  hard- 
lt'^r7°"''"r*'u'"'*""'l?.  ^ «»•  Buckingham,  in  consequence  of  conduct 
ri  •  ^  ii?""  '"^hrng  any  blame  to  him,  is,  in  my  opinion,  highly  honourable 
and  praise^rthy,  and  perfectly  conformable  to  those  rules  if  conduct  and  those  ex- 
amples  of  freedom  which  we  are  accustomed  to  admire  and  hold  up  for  imitation  bv 
others  of  our  own  countrymen.  •  vu  w^ 

ii.kJ"  'Si^  ?r"u?'l'  ^7'*^  l»«d«n  opportunity  of  reading  aU  thoee  articles  pub- 
lished  in  Mr.  Buckingham'a  Journal  which  were  particularly  found  fault  with  bv  the 
Indian  government,  f  can  undertake  to  aay  that  there  ia  not  one  of  these  articles,  al- 
though  they  must  all  have  been  written  and  inserted  in  the  huny  inseparable  from 
the  publication  of  a  daily  paper,  which  not  only  doea  not  reflect  the  slwhtest  atain 
m  the  character  of  the  writer,  but  are  such  aa  would  do  honour  to  any  man  possess- 
ing an  honest  zeal  for  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  and  such  aa 
there  u  every  reason  to  believe  were  written  and  "ublished  with  a  perfect  e"  a"  i- 


APPBNDIX. 


485 


claim.,  bec.u.e  I  .hdlKuowS  b7i.J?L^?.  *"  '"'T'  °'^^'-  Buckingham', 
thi.  duty.    But  there  i.on«S  „7  "'"y .««"»'«">'        'iy  competent  to  diKUuae 

OM  LIAVINa  TBI  8H0KI8  OF   ENOIAND  FOK  AN  ABSENOl   OF  aOMBTIAIa. 

(Written  on  board  the  »hip  President.) 

^■/*j^I!*''"^ '  "'•"^  •'"'^'y  *y  ''•'wes  are  receding, 

sJ^     I     *•""  °'  '•'y  *•'''*'  «''*''  «n»w«  dim  '<>  «he  view. 
Some  cheennff  presentiment  whispers  I'm  bidding 

Tu  "v"™  °'  "7  fathers  a  short-lived  adieu ! 

I  hat  the  home  of  my  childhood,  whose  green  hills  and  vales 

Have  gladden'd  my  heart  when  most  burden'd  with  pain, 
will  soon  welcome  me  back,  when  with  favouring  gales 

I  return  to  enjoy  all  its  pleasure*  again. 

0^f"t« '  in  Uncertainty's  dirk  womb  concealing 

The  events  of  the  future,  with  ignorance  bless'dT 
Still  prolong  the  delusion,  nor  blast,  by  revealing, 

The  first  ray  of  hope  that  irradiates  my  breast. 
Enough  faintly  it  glimmer,  I'll  cherish  it  there,  . 

Till  Time  ahall  its  embryo  expand  into  flame ; 
1  lU  agam^  I  embrace  the  few  friends  that  are  dear— 

x  C5 ;  Qcarer  thaa  liches,  iliau  power,  or  fame. 


4i^  APPENDIX. 

While  ftom  the  UU  meat  the  blae  lisul'a  ■till  werinf, 
And  the  breeie  filU  the  Mile  that  3ie  mom  aaw  unTurl'd, 

A  pang,  half  indignant,  awella  my  boaom  while  leaving 
Thy  ahorea,  once  ao  famed  ae  the  hope  of  the  woijiir; 

For  though  to  the  alave  thou  canat  liberty  give, 

^And  mediate  fo'  ^  -itice  when  nationa  demand, 

Thine  own  children,  when  plunder'd,  oppreaa'd,  and  deceived, 
Find  nor  juatice,  nor  mercy,  nor  truth  at  thy  hand. 

Believe  me,  ye  faithful  and  fondly-loved  few ! 

That,  wherever  my  track,  at  the  Line  or  the  Pole, 
The  pleaaurea  of  Hope,  like  the  Spring'a  early  dew, 

Will  cheer,  and  retreah,  and  invis'rate  my  aoul. 
Yea !  though  driven  frorat  Juatice,  though  exiled  from  frienda 

My  heart  apurna  with  acorn  baae  Subaerviency'a  chain ;     ' 
And  where'er  my  dark  courae  through  thia  baniahment  be'nda 

It  will  bound  with  the  hope  of  our  meeting  again. 

Yet  it  ahall  not  be  alwaya  thua  heartleaa  and  cold 

That  thy  rulera  ahall  falsely  and  faithlessly  away ; 
The  spirit  of  Freedom,  which  fiU'd  thee  of  oH, 

Shall  call  to  thy  councils  men  nobler  than  they. 
Then  Party  and  Faction,  together  cast  down, 

Shall  fall  before  Knowledge  and  Justice  combined, 
And  coronet,  mitre,  and  ermme,  and  crown, 

Shall  yield  to  the  influence  of  Virtue  and  Mind. 

Oh !  haaten  the  day,  t'.ou  omnipotent  Judge, 

Which  thy  prophets  and  seers  have  so  clearly  portray'd, 
When  the  world,  now  ao  fill'd  with  injustice  and  fraud. 

Shall  be  purged  of  the  dross  which  Corruption  has  made  • 
When  the  earth  shall  be  fill'd  with  the  knowledge  of  Thee,* 

And  the  aword  ahall  give  place  to  the  preaa  and  the  pen ' 
When  Truth  shall  encompass  the  globe,  like  the  sea, 

And  Justice  establiah  her  throne  among  men. 

Brituk  Channel,  Sept.  11, 1837.  ^'  ^'  ^^ceinohim. 


No.  III. 

MB.   B.OCMHOHAll's  ADDRESS  TO  THE   PEOPLE   OP  THE   UNITED   BTATES. 

„      _     ,  JVew-Yor*,  October  25,  1837. 

Men,  Brefhren,  and  Fellow-Christiana : 

^.IfJJf  I^HM  w  ^T'"  ''""8',  ^V:  "'^'y  y®"  "PProwh  your  shores  from  all 
parts  of  the  Old  World,  must  so  familiarize  you  with  the  arrival  of  atrangera  from 
every  quarter  of  the  globe  as  to  justify  your  Indifference  towards  all  who  do  not  .ak 
your  attention  on  some  special  account,  since  it  would  be  impoasible  for  you  to  show 
It  to  every  individual  of  so  countless  a  multitude ;  and,  without  some  grounds  on 
which  to  establiah  exceptions,  none  could  be  fairly  expected  to  be  made.  This  con- 
sideration, while  It  will  fortify  me  in  the  propriety  of  the  step  I  am  taking,  will  also. 
I  trust,  dispose  you  to  lend  a  favourable  attention  to  a  short  statement  of  the  ciwum: 
stances  which  have  driven  me  to  your  shores,  of  the  motives  which  impel  me  to  the 
course  I  am  pursuing,  and  of  the  objects  which  I  hope,  under  the  blessl^  of  Pro, ' 
dence,  and  with  your  aid  and  protection,  to  accomplish. 

A  train  of  events,  much  too  numerous  to  be  narrated  in  detail,  occaaioned  me 
Tery  early  in  life  to  leave  my  native  country.  England,  and  to  viait  most  of  the  na- 
tions in^Purope,  still  more  of  the  interior  of  Asia,  many  parts  of  the  Continent  of 
Afnca,  and  some  portions  also  of  the  two  Americas.  It  was  after  an  active  life  of 
some  twenty  years  thus  devoted,  in  which  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  traverse,  I  believe  a 
larger  portion  of  the  earth's  aurface,  and  to  visit  a  giWter  nmnbei  ud  vwiet^  of 


ArPBNDIX. 


487 


countries,  than  almoit  any  man  lifing  of  my  tire  that  I  ..m^ 

monuments  if  .ncient  jrreatneaa  in  ?KJ?  f        '  *!"  "*•  "»«kablc  ciliea  and 
gantic  pyramid..  coIol^JTe^leV   J.X^^^   |^  .bo  gi- 

acomb.  .nd  aepulchrea  which  atud  the  clLTbank.^fThi  V  i   V     '  'P?  K'**™'  "^ 
Grand  Cairo  to  the  CaUracta  of  Svene     ih«  h„.  ""e  Nile  from  Aleaandreo  and 

the  Deaert  of  Wanderinracroaa  S    f.  inZ  ""»""'•'"•'»'  Horeb  and  Sinai,  and 
»he  land  of  Egypt  to  the  pSiLd  C.n«n     .i  '"?  "'  I««el  were  led  from  out  of 

Mount  P..g.hfiho  valleyoHoZn  .n^he  i)e.d  S~"''^  ••'-  '^'"""'"'  *'"* 

Sidon  ;  the  porta  of  Joooa  Ac,^  LrTn  "  ?*' ' . "•*  """*<*  «"'«•  of  Tyre  and 

of  Galilee  ;  K  citfea  of'^ietm'  Wrind' 8.?^^ «"  ''I  ^"""^  ''"^  C«J 
anon,  Hermon,  Tabor,  and  Carmel  ■  Z  m«  7  ?!i^.'«*'e™ !  'be  mountaina  of  Leb- 
Cityof  Jeruaalern  w^lhall  it.  .rirln  i  ^"""^  "' 0''»ea  and  Mount  Zion;  thehoW 
da.'near  theS  Kedl  ntSelafc  oft^^^^  "l."r'*  f  ^*'"'"'  "^  ^etheZ 
endearing  .pot.  of  the  Garden  if  Ge\'  7em  „i''l''fc  S  """  Tw^"«  "«* 
«•>"  I"  wh-ch  the  body  of  our  Lord  waa  l.id     '  '  ^'''"y'  '"^  ">«  "?"»- 

the^  i;tJXorri?a^?t';r.ndt^^^^^  ^r^'-'  "-^  P""tine. 

abundance  of  the  material,  which  thevorS^^.r  •?*'««'y >••  prolific  in  the 
the  aeaporta  of  Berytu.,  Byb7u.  Tr  Doh/?nH  i  li  "^  "T'  ^^  *«  ^°"n"  were 
of  Antloch  on  the  verdint  banki  Vf  '^^he  O  "li''°i'."''  ""'^  '^  «""  •"'"'«>'  «=«'«• 
chanting  city  of  Dama.cua,  who.e  loveii^e..  h^^^^^  beenThe^rh?"  »"?'"••  ""^  ""«  «"- 
ration,  from  the  daya  of  Abraham  and  Kr  trtho«  „r  V  ""'  "l  "."""•«'  «'''"'- 
great  apo.tle  of  the  Gentile,  and  from  ZnL  »  .u  "^  Naaman  the  Svrian  and  the 
temple  V(  the  Sun  at  Baar;  the  ™  "  '"  ""  P"""'  *"»"':  *hi!e  the  great 
Rom'an  "ttlement.'if  th  "S^^^^^^^  »'  •"«'«"'  aplendour  ilt'he 

reigned  before  either  Greek  TrEn  in  HLh.i  •"''"'""'""nent.  of  tho.e  who 
yond  Jordan,  added  aplendour  oI^TuwIh^k""^  ^I'*?'*'  '"**  "»"  '««'»"•  bo- 
qoary  could  deaire.    ^  "'^'  "'*  «=««"'>">««»  «11  that  the  traveller  or  anli- 

int?sip.attt.tirr^^^^^^^       ^r-  •»■'  «•«»'-•. 

the  celebrateTcity  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldfea  r^„Tt  "^""•"he..  In  the  firmer 
inany  day.  in  thia^ancient  bl^hpl«e  .,fd  aSe  of  r^T"!"'"  I'M"?.  «"«»  I P^ 
tensive luina of  Nineveh,  anrea^  in  .!«„»  j  i  •  "" P*»"««b  Abraham.  The  ex- 
and  the  faUen  BaK^reri  L  InHt.  't'"'"^  'H  *^  '«•'''•»'  '^e  Tigria, 
Euphrate.,  were  alVo  o^.  o  pat  ent  «f  L«fT  ""  "'*'•'  •'•*•  "^  '^^  K'*''  "'« 
•nul  capital  of  the  caliph,  BaS  d  the  renowi'^"Vw'°^  "  *«"  "  '^e  Ori- 
Tower  of  Bab.l,  on  the  olak  of  Shin.,  „f  v  u*^ '  '"^ .""  """'oa  of  the  givat 
^^^'^  ^T^-  •nftlljS^^^^  *  ~'"'"'«*W«  potion  «"'  e^iata' 

rui"1nhe"lnSr4Ta't.Srt^:  tomb  «;  C  '  "^  T''"™*' '  «""» '"-'  "-o.  the 
main,  of  the  great  t^pJe  at  PeraiSk  J^ffi'-'  ^'^#'  ""* "»«  'P'^-'diJ  '«- 
and  antiquarian  taate ;  whil"  the3lol*^  «^  r  V  ^'^^  IT**  ""»  monumental 
raz.  with  the  lovely  vilUy,  of  Per"^*^  l.n/  °^  Kerman.hali,  I.pahan,  and  Shi- 
and  the  picture«iue.       '   »' *^"»""»  landacape,  amply  fed  my  love  of  the  beautiful 

,ei;,j;rre''':^^^^^^^^^^^  V"'  '^^^  i-»«'  ^^  — ^ 

that  all  the  outline,  of  thatm.S!!r"Fi  •  A^it^r  auffice,  however,  to  aay, 
the  Persian  Gulf  on  the  weTt  fteX^^-g  ^  "^ 'J«  f "»-"  f^m  the  Red'Sea  a/d 
voyage,  along  its  ahores  •  for  afinr  «!Jil,  *^j°"  ""^  *"''  '^"'^  '™c«I  by  my 
«ea.*named,  from  Suez  to'Bab-eft.ndebff  th!  o„"f  "^r'*V""^y'"«  '^'h^  'he 
phrate.  to  the  port  of  Muscat  in  th^.k  '"/  "f'™"*"  ^"^'^  '•"'  "«»"">  of  the  Eu- 
the  coaat  of  Malabar  SntLnce  to  ?„i:l'''''!?  1°™'''/'  '"^^  «"  ">«  PO''"  "P^n 
Ceylon;  afterward  a^cE  «  Cr^^l^en?^^^  ^'  ^•"?  k"  '''^  ^-'-n'^of 

V.z.ga..tam,  on  the  coast  of  CoroSd  and  OnW  intK*^"''"'  Bimlipatam  and 
pie  oT  Juggernaut ;  and  ultimately  reached  th^Wk"  '^^'«?'?n  "^  'be  idol  tern- 
the  bank,  of  the  Gange.  ^  "'"'  ^"'"^  "P"»>  o?  India,  Calcutta,  on 

It  may  readily  u.  conceived  that,  in  ao  extensive  and  raried  a  track  aa  this,  the 


APPBNDIZ. 


ponoml  tdventarM  I  •ipniancid  were  ae  varied  h  they  were  numeroua ;  and  {.may 
aaaert  with  confidence,  tiiat  whiie  privation  and  aufferinK  ha^been  endured  by  me  in 
•ImoM  every  form — in  hunger,  thirst,  nakedneu,  impnaonment,  ahipwreck,  battle, 
and  diaeaae— ao  also  every  pomp  and  pleasure  that  man  could  enjoy,  from  honours 
bestowed  and  hoapitalitiea  received,  agreeably  relieved  the  tedium  of  my  way ;  so 
that,  although  my  course  wsa  not  invariably  on  a  bed  of  roaes,  neither  waa  it  always 
•croas  a  path  of  thorns. 

Amid  all  theee  changes,  however,  there  waa  one  thing  which,  in  me  at  least,  re- 
mained  happily  the  same.  No  length  of  travel,  no  amount  of  suffering,  no  blandish- 
menu  of  plessure,  no  intimidations  of  tyranny,  no  debilitation  of  climate,  no  variety 
of  institutions,  had  been  sufficient  to  sbate  in  me,  in  the  slightest  degree,  that  ardour 
of  attachment  to  liberty,  civil,  political,  and  religious,*wbieh  God  and  Nature  im- 
planted in  mv  breast  from  the  crsdle,  which  experience  fanned  into  maturity  with 
manhood,  and  which  Providence,  I  truat,  will  keep  alive  in  my  heart  to  the  latest  pe- 
riod of  my  advancing  age.  Animated  by  thia  love  of  liberty,  which  you,  the  people 
of  America,  as  you  know  how  to  cherish  among  yourselves,  will  not  be  disposed  to 
condemn  in  others,  I  continued,  even  under  the  burning  clime  end  despotic  rule  of  sn 
Eaatem  tyranny,  to  think,  to  feel,  and  to  speak  aa  every  Englishman,  proud  of  hie 
country,  his  ancestors,  and  hia  laws,  ought  to  do,  so  long  ss  he  besrs  that  honoured 
name.  For  thus  presuming  to  carry  with  me  from  the  land  of  my  fathers  that  spirit, 
which  made  England  for  so  many  years  the  hope  of  the  world,  and  which,  infused 
into  the  early  settlers  of  vour  own  still  freer  country,  and  continued  in  their  proud 
posterity,  makes  it  now  the  asylum  and  the  home  of  the  oppreaaed ;  for  thia,  and  for 
this  alone,  I  was  baniahed  by  a  summary  and  arbitrary  decree,  without  trial,  hearing, 
or  defence,  my  property  deatroyed  to  the  extent  of  not  less  than  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  the  prospective  ceruinty  of  an  equal  sum,  at  leaat,  cut  off  and  an- 
nihilated at  a  single  blow. 

With  the  detaila  of  thia  atrocity  it  ia  not  my  purpose  or  intention  to  trouble  you ; 
but  while  I  record  the  fact  as  one  which  forms  an  important  link  in  the  chain  of  cir- 
cumsUnces  that  impel  me  hither,  I  may  add  that  the  almost  universal  indignation  of 
the  people  of  England  haa  been  expressed  sgainst  this  gross  injustice ;  that  a  Parlia- 
mentary committee,  composed  of  men  of  all  partiea  in  politica,  unanimously  pronoun- 
ced its  condemnation ;  and  that  the  highest  authorities  among  our  public  men  have 
expressed  their  abhorrence  of  the  deed ;  but  from  the  impunity  enjoyed  by  the  East 
India  Company  in  their  oppreasions  abroad,  and  the  impossibility  of  making  them 
■ubject  to  oar  legal  Jurisdiction  at  home,  no  redress  has,  to  thia  hour,  been  obtained, 
nor,  according  to  aUTprobability,  ia  any  ever  likely  to  be  procured. 

From  the  period  of  my  arbitrary  and  unjust  banishment  from  India  up  to  the  reform 
of  our  Parliament  in  England,  I  was  incessantly  and  auccessfully  engaged  in  direct- 
ing the  attention  of  my  countrymen  to  the  evils  of  the  East  India  monopoly,  and  en- 
listing their  interesU  and  their  sympalhiea  in  demanding  its  extinction.  With  this 
view  I  was  occupied  about  aix  years  in  addressing  the  British  pobVc  through  the 

{iages  of  the  "  Oriental  Herald,"  and  four  yeara  in  a  patriotic  pilgriouge  through  Eng- 
and,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  on  a  crusade  against  the  abominations  of  the  East ;  in 
the  course  of  which  I  traversed  all  parts  of  the  three  divisions  of  our  kinsdom,  visit- 
ed almost  every  town  of  the  least  importance  in  each,  and  addressed,  in  public 
speechee,  lectures,  and  discourses,  on  this  important  subject,  not  less  than  a  million 
of  my  aasambled  countrymen,  in  audiences  vsrying  from  fire  hundred  to  two  thou- 
sand each,  including  persons  of  all  ranks,  from  the  peasant  to  the  peer,  of  both  sexes, 
of  every  age,  and  of  every  political  and  religious  persuasion. 

The  result  of  all  this  was  the  kindling  a  flame  throughout  the  entire  nation,  which 
burned  brighter  and  brighter  aa  the  hour  of  conaummition  approached,  and  at  length 
became  pmectly  irreaistible.  More  than  a  hundied  provincial  associationa  were 
formed,  among  which  Liverpool,  Manchester,  Leeds,  Glasgow,  and  Birmingham  took 
the  lead,  to  demand  the  abolition  of  the  East  India  Company's  commercial  monopoly, 
and  the  amelioration  of  iu  civil  government ;  and  not  less  than  10,000/.  was  raised 
and  expended  in  the  legitimate  promotion  of  this  object,  through  public  meetings, 
deputations,  and  the  powerful  agency  of  the  presa. 

The  reform  of  Parliament  being  accomplished,  I  w«s  invited,  under  circumstances 
of  the  most  flattering  nature  to  myself,  but  on  which  I  will  not  dwell,  to  become  the 
representative  of  the  town  of  SheflSeld,  in  which  and  to  which  I  was  then  personally 
•o  entire  stranger ;  but  ita  invitation  waa  founded  on  a  knowledge  of  my  public  life 


APrSNDIX. 


489 


Common.,  the  »ww.  I  h.d  EVin^  i^H^  r  "^  P''"  '"  "»•  B"'«'>  «»"••  of 

Pil..  of  .heir  hu.b.nd.'!!"; pu^lt7uw  "Th7'b£i"t'  '-!i*"  ""  "^  f""«"» 
from  the  idolurou*  worsbin  nf  i..-„o.„    .  "  •>»««-««*'ne<i  revenue  derived 

~b<H,l..thepromotLoftu'^ii:J,;'KS.T«^^^^^^  '^^'  (?""''•'"»"  »' 

provided  for  than  before;  .nd  "  me  S^luS         /''''•^*"^ 
peril  end  labour  combmed  were  Jp?y  tV£T  ^iT^  °'  ""'  >•"•»' 
compliehment  of  .Imoet  every  obie"  for^wJh  T  h.H     ".''*?'  f"**  ""•'««"'on«i  "c 
•f  .n  the  wi.he.  I  h.d  .0^4  iSdlSl  "^"^^^  conUud«l,  end  the  gntifiction 

to£  t'Su'TL^UuZtSei^bX^^^^^^^  r-  ?•'"'••  '  »»•»  ""  "'PP'— 
•nee ;  end,  through  theTv«trJ.t.^.  «?*   *  ^'""  "  ,*?  "f"*'  «l""''°"  "^  »*™'P«»- 

convince  .  Ura.  portion'of  .Kri  Uh  it^^\ra^?,tT''"'r  '^P""'  "  *• 
•nd  man  to  follow  their  Amerir^^^  kV-.k  •  ^  '  *■*  '*'•"  w'emn  duty  to  Ood 
the  firet  to  eet  i„  Thi.  roatr^^n^n^'^^::!!  oPIT' W  «".7'%-'>-»'  '^e/  ««« 

Of  the  remaimier  of  my  I.C.  „  t^Siblr  of  irBrri^/''^°r  " 
neeemry  that  I  .hould  .peak:  but  I  Zv  ~rh.„.     ^l'"*'  ^'•'•'"«  '»  '•  not 

pitted  to  add-and  there  J?^,LppS/ncTf„\Ccr;rN°^  »«  P"- 

intimate  and  inBuenUal  of  my  con.d  uen^  2m«!!  {      New-York  »>me  of  the  moat 

of  Sheffield,  who  can  coU2 ZTZIJ^TZll^'lt^''  '"'*  '»«»f*«»»"" 
tepreaentative  of  that  large  and  opulent  town^or.  i^T^  ">?^H»P'neM  to  ut  aa  the 
ment  of  a.  much  of  the  cMfidencraad  anDmh.?i«  P?'"^.»[fi'«  T'w*.  in  the  enjoy, 
ble  for  any  repre.enutive  rbe  honoureTCth  "d  ^^  '"'"'•'•'"'•  "  '\  •*"  P«-«- 
to  my  conatiuienta.  for  the  purpo«>  of  aivi^a  tL  *'' '"  "'"^  """••'  '»'» •"•<«• 

Pariiament.  and  .urrenderin«  u'?my  tr?  ICfth-T  *A  ^fT^  ''^'"y  ttewardahip  in 
on  me.  I  wa.  uniformly  cZ*ne5  S  the  t^Jmon^J?  t  '^""  *•"  ^"'  '^'««^  i» 
and  aent  back  to  the  Houi.e  of  Pnm™!.  '"•'™?ny  of  their  unununou.  approbation, 
limited  con^dence  than  b"  r!,^  ^""""""  "  *^"  "Pn-nUtive,  with  .tifi'^ore  ^ 

whTltu  toTe^jE^JfS^^^  '-.«'•  ^^^  of  tho«, 

happine...  to  provide,  thayiahoud^ukmv'.tn/"-  7^°"?  "  "  ""'  """'y'  *•  "  »  "r 
year,  devoted  to  the  'eerv ke  of  the  DubliTV/.nt^f!!^  r"""'  •"''•  "^'^  """'/  ^^4 
•nd  activity  that  miirht  be  wared  m^  hi r*  ?i*  ''"*  J'*  wmainmg  year,  of  health 
ticable.  to  Jrovidingareiroirf^thTd,  "?rr'8*'  ']"*"'•*  «"«>«  exertion  imprac- 
king  that  rStreat  HfdepTndTn  11  Jell  as  honl™hl  ""^^'^'^li"*  ^  ""»•  '"^'»•- 
intention.  and  the  reason,  on  wh!.h^?L.  """"""^o-     \  •ccordingly  announced  this 

•ion  of  P«liament.Tju|y,  nSrVS' «r"*'''n'  •"'"'"  ''"'''•'•"  "'"'•'  '"'"^ 
field,  where,  though  all  ou?'p  eviou.  meeti^/XlLl'n'"  t«,.7 'o-ti'uenU  at  Shef- 
•te  in  the  extreme,  thi.  w.a  morB  r^^u?*  '^"  •'"'"''■''  ''"'*?•  ""«*  'ffection- 

"•Thrren^=-"^"  ^^^^^^^^^  rr j^r»or«^  '^-^^^  «'*  • 
ity «'';:;^te;:rh'r:"lKrt^^1'^^^^^^^^^    ">*'"-* ••»-•'''"- 

family  to  other  .horea.  The  moUvel  whirh  hJ  •  -i  V  """"y-  "*•  ?°  ^i"*  my 
Unitil  State,  a.  the  first  atSwt T«  hJ^u .  7-  '"'•"'"^  ""  '^  r*^'  '^  of  thi 
I  ho,,  to  accomplish  t^nl'iZ'.Z  ^^  KpS'  '"'^'^«  ^''^~"  «"«'» 

great  centre  of  freedom.  civilSaTorandSS'.nH  fl!  *'""?  "^u ''">«•  *«  ««  ">• 
the  world.    In  the  aee.  that  .«  n«.!j   ""?'°"'  ""^  ">"»  'o  be  the  regenerator  of 

beam,  of  truth  fir" t  illumin  n^he  coSj'.rr.  5??h  •^"  ^  ^'l"^  '''''''  '"«»  '«>• 
like  the  light  of  heaven  iuerDro«J2pr?        i^\^V.V""'  '•^"  pewing  onward, 
edge  to^igypt.  EgypTr&K^riVKriS?^^^^^^^ 
...  »„  ««e  tnree  m  ,ucce..ion  to  the«  re.poctiye«tti;menU  ^n-^IlJ^'erafS 


I 


I 


m. 


490 


APPENDIX. 


JP^V*'.  ihAK  '  Off  (beir  depending  •  ind  lining  in  the  full  dignitr  of  tbsir  united 
ipnalb,  >M«n«.t  .1  wcutfrf  iheir  ireedom,  ..  '  ook  their  pitee  unonff  the  moct 
«Wnttcned  end  rao»i,  honoured  nalioni  of  ihi     «f<.h 

From  (hit  moment  you  have  gone  on,  rejoicing  ike  ,,«  tun  In  hie  couree,  increee- 
wg  in  popul.tion,  m  rommflrce,  m  liberty,  in  we.hh,  m  iiieillgenee,  in  beppineee. 
mp  f  people  have  penelr«i.  H  the  prim«»»«l  foreett,  tnd  tpreed  themeelrei  ■•  culti- 
^r.  „f  !he  •oil  from  the  Ati»  -  almost  to  the  Pacific  ;  till  your  thipe  cover  everT 
•".  enu  till  tho  meaMge  of  youj  ytmiAent,  unfolding  the  meaturee  of  the  peat  and 
.Oe'-f./mifr  the  prnspecta  of  the  future,  ia  look»>  for  with  intereat  at  every  court  in 
■.u.opt,  -  ..'  eed  with  eager  and  intenao  attentio,  >y  the  humbleat  lover  of  freedom 
to  every  coui.  7  m  which  it  ia  made  public. 

Commanding,  therefore,  ta  you  now  do,  ■  poaition  the  moat  favourable  to  national 
greatneaa,  to  uaeful  influence,  and  to  honourable  renown ;  the  vaat  interior  of  your 
aztenaive  surface  embracing  every  variety  of  climate,  aoil.  and  production,  and  your 
•itended  aeacoasts  furnishing  ports  of  attraction  to  all  the  world  ;  with  the  Atlantio 
Ocean  for  your  highway  to  Europe,  and  the  Pacific  for  your  approach  to  Aaia;  your 
mighty  rivers,  rising  cities,  populous  villages,  increasing  collegea,  templea  of  public 
worahip,  and  adult  and  infant  achools,  what  ia  wanting  but  time  to  place  you  at  the 
head  of  those  nationa  of  the  old  world,  who.  leaa  than  a  century  ago,  derided  your 
intelligence  and  your  strength,  to  both  of  which  you  have  long  since  compelled  them 
CrI'      """"S*  ''>•'  *'»•  ju«tly  due  1  or 

While  others,  therefore,  visit  your  shores  charged  either  with  merehandiae  to  aell. 
or  gold  and  silver  to  buy,  I  venture  to  come  among  you  freighted  with  no  cargo  of 
Booda  for  your  consumption,  or  with  the  precious  mc  ils  for  purehase  or  eichanve 
In  the  midst,  however,  of  all  the  bustle  and  animation  that  fill  your  crowded  marts' 
there  will  be  room,  I  hope,  for  one  who  brings  only  the  knowledge  and  experience 
acquired  by  yeara  of  travel  in  the  Scriptural  and  Classical  countries  of  the  Eaat  to 
communicate  to  those  who  may  have  leiaure  and  diapolition  to  hear,  and  Uate  and 
education  to  enjoy,  whatever  can  illuatrate  the  hiatory  and  poetry  of  early  davs.  and 
above  all,  whatever  can  tend  to  unfold  the  beauties,  confirm  the  prophecies,  and  ffive 
•trength  and  force  to  the  aublime  and  important  trutha  contained  in  the  aacred  vol- 
nme  of  our  common  faith. 

Thia  ia  the  first  obieot  which  I  hope  to  aecompliah  by  my  aoioum  among  you.  and 
thie  alone  would  welf  .uatify  my  viait  to  your  shores.  If,  at  the  same  UmS.  there  be 
othera  not  incompatible  with  thia  prominent  one,  but  auxiliary  and  subordinate  to  it 
that  I  may  be  permitted  to  puraue,  auch  as  a  careful  and  impartial  examination  of 
your  own  reaonrcee,  institutions,  literature,  and  manners,  so  that,  while  diffuaing  in- 
formation  for  the  gratification  of  othen,  I  mav  be  adding  to  my  atores  of  knowl^e 

£1  »LT"  ^"l!^^^'  ^  f°»»'' n"'  'hat  I  shall  6id  among  you  all  the  kindness  of^d 
for  which  you  have  so  long  been  renowned. 

The  mode  that  I  have  chosen  for  the  communication  of  the  interesting  detaila  with 
which  the  past  history  and  actual  condition  of  the  Scriptural  and  Classical  countriee 
01  the  £.ut  abound,  namely,  that  of  oral  discourses  or  extemporaneous  lectures,  mav 
•ppear  to  some  to  be  less  dignified,  aa  it  is  undoubtedly  lese  usual,  than  the  diffuaion 
of  th)8  class  of  information  through  printed  books.  But  it  may  be  defended,  firat.  on 
Uie  {fio  ir.d  of  ite  greater  practical  utility,  being  at  once  more  attractive  and  more  ef- 
ficient .and,  aecondly,  on  the  ground  of  its  high  antiquity,  and  of  the  aaored  and 
olasaioal,  as  well  aa  noble  and  historical,  precedents  in  its  favour. 

As  to  the  ground  of  its  attractiveneat,  it  has  been  found,  in  Britein  at  leart  that 
tho-jaands  have  been  induced  to  assemble  to  hear  1  traveller  personally  narraiu  hi» 
adventures  and  describe  the  objects  he  has  seen,  vhcre  it  would  have  been  &:fr.>  n' 
to  get  even  hundreds  to  bestow  the  time  and  labour  of  reading  the  aame  t'  -  - ' 
printed  booka ;  and  when  I  add  that  in  London,  Edinburgh,  Dublin,  Glasgow,  iJel- 
fast..  Liverpool,  Mancheater,  Leeds,  Birmingham,  Sheffield,  Hull,  Bristol.  Bath,  and 
others  of  our  largeat  and  most  intellectual  cities,  audiences  increaaing  fioln  five  hun- 
dred to  tv/o  thousand  peraonshave  been  attracted  for  six  auccessive  nights,  without 
apparent  isconyenience  or  fatigue,  the  proof  of  the  superior  attractiveness  of  spoken 
difcour>^s  H-  pnnted  booka  may  be  considered  as  complete.  Of  their  superiOT  ef. 
ficiency  ther  <,<fnx  s'iU  loss  doubt ;  for  the  veiy  fact  of  so  many  persons  beins  as- 
aembled  ti-etK  «  v.-  wrap  Dio.  and  hearing  the  same  observations  at  the  Mme 
moment,  ezr^i*  'ih'atc .  j,  sympathy,  and  enthusiasm,  which  is  contagious  in  its 
•flecU  on  bPv:  .-ps  a-  -j ,., -i  betrera,  till  !^eir  feelinsra  flow  in  one  common  cnmint  • 


iFrBNSIZ, 


4»l 


I»niili6d  from  bit  i,.li..  coZZ  H.Em™™,  t^^^k    '"^^  '■"»«>•«  «"1 
Garnet,  .bout  five  hundred  vea«  be7oA  thl  PhVi         «'«•'/««"'•'  "^  the  Olympic 

Ou.Iy  traveled  exl^vd^in  Sh.We.  and  fct  '  'IT'^V'!?"'''  «,"<'..  h«vingprevi- 
peared  at  the  Olympic  Game,  of  O,!.!  if  ^  ',?"?  P"'"^'^  '"  ^"'^'•'  ^o  also  ap- 
cia,  delivering;  rtCsevlrluoSrthrf  ''-fY  ^^'^^  ^"'y  ""^  Magna  GrSi 

Jhln;„H„!.S  *^  Pyhagoras,  as  well  as  in  the  countrie.  we  each  traversed  and 
the  mode  of  diffusing  the  information  thus  acquired  by  oral  di«.on4r.S!r?Cl? 
y™  u.  u^cr  iaufii,  a.e  .luiuarity  may  be  Happily  co£Unued,  if  noVin'theffonouA^t^ 


m 


493 


APPXNfiKX. 


be  aoquued,  at  least  ia  the  amount  of  the  good  to  be  done ;  and  that,  in  thia  lart  r*. 
apecmhe  Olv mpia  and  Magna  Orecia  of  the  East  may  fairly  yield  the  palm  to  the 
more  free  and  more  generally  intelligent  Columbia  of  tbe  Weat,  ia  my  moat  earnest 
hope  and  desire,  my  most  sincere  and  ferrent  prayer. 

I  will  aay  nomore  except  to  add  that,  should  my  humble  labours  amonf  von  be 
crowned  with  tha  success  which  I  venture  to  anticipate,  and  should  PioTidenee  spare 
mo  life  and  health  to  follow  out  the  plan  I  have  long  meditated  and  designed,  it  is  rov 
intention,  after  visiting  every  part  of  the  United  States  of  America,  to  extend  my 
tour  Ihroufth  the  firitiah  pdssessions  of  Canada,  New- Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia,  and 
the  West  Indiea ;  to  visit  from  thence  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  for  the  purpose  of  in- 
vestiMting  this  barrier  -between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Ocean ;  to  makean  excur- 
sion  througfl  Mexico,  and  from  thence  pass  onwsrd  by  the  South  Sea  Islands  to  Chi- 
na ;  visit  the  Philippines  and  the  Moluccaa ;  go  onward  to  Australia  and  Van  Diemen'a 
Land  ;  continue  from  thence  through  the  Indian  Archipelago,  by  Borneo,  Java.  Su- 
«n«t™.  "f  Malacca,  to  India;  traverse  the  Peninsula  of  Hindustan  from  the  Oanffcs 
to  Jhe  Indus,  and  return  to  Europe  by  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Mediterranean 

rhroughout  the  whole  of  this  long  and  varied  route  there  ere  a  few  prominent  and 
important  objects,  which,  as  they  have  been  long  favourite  subjects  of  studv.  and 
have  engaged  a  large  share  of  my  attention  in  the  pa8^  I  ahall  hope  to  keep  stMdilv 
in  view,  and  do  all  within  my  power  to  advance  in  the  future.    It  haa  lonjf  been  mv 
conviction,  that  among  the  most  prolific  causes  of  vice  and  misery  in  the  world,  those 
fil  '"f  "Pf """» Ignorance,  cruelty,  and  war  are  productive  of  the  greatest  evils ;  and 
that  the  beat  service  which  man  can  render  to  bis  fellow-beings  is  therefore  to  pro- 
mote,  by  every  means  within  his  reach,  the  principles  and  practice  of  temperance, 
education,  benevolence,  and  peace.    My  belfef  is,  that  more  of  sympathy  and  cor- 
diality m  favour  of  these  great  objects  will  be  found  in  the  United  StatVs  of  America 
than  in  any  other  country  on  the  globe.     Abeady,  indeed,  baa  ahe  done  more  than 
any  other  country  that  can  be  named  for  the  advancement  of  temperance,  the  spresd 
of  education,  the  amelioration  of  the  criminal  code,  the  improvement  of  prisons  and 
penitentiaries,  and  the  practical  illustrations  of  the  blessings  of  pesce.    And,  plsced 
aa  she  now  is  between  the  two  great  aeas  that  divide  the  Old  from  the  New  World 
and  separate  the  ancient  empirea  of  the  East  from  the  modem  nations  of  the  Weat' 
Bo  that,  with  her  face  towards  the  regiona  of  the  sun,  she  can  stretch  out  her  rieht 
hand  to  Asia  and  her  left  hand  to  Europe,  and  cause  her  moral  influence  to  be  felt 
from  LonsUntmople  to  Canton,  ahe  haa  the  means  within  her  reach,  aa  well  aa  tbe 
disposition  to  use  those  means,  for  the  still  farther  propagation  and  promotion  of  her 
benevolent  designs.    It  is  this  which  encouragea  me  to  believe  that  mv  uhcrior 
projects  and  intentions,  which  I  thus  freely  avow,  will  not  lewen  the  cordiality  with 
which  the  first  and  more  immediate  object  of  my  mission  to  your  shores  will  be  re- 
ceived.   The  land  now  covered  with  the  descendants  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  and 
ine  oitapnng  of  those  noble  and  unyielding  spirits  who,  fleeing  to  the  uncleared  wil- 
derneas  as  a  refuge  from  tyranny  and  persecution,  found  in  its  primeval  foieats  the 
libertv  they  m  vain  sought  for  in  their  native  homes,  and  whose  posterity,  while  fill- 
ing these  forests  with  cities,  and  covering  thf»  wilds  with  civilization  and  reKirion 
have  never  forgotten  those  lessons  of  freedom  which  their  ancestors  first  tanoht  bv 
their  practical  privations  and  sufierings,  and  then  sealed  and  cemented  by  their  blood 
such  a  land  is  not  likely  to  refuse  its  shelter  to  one  whose  past  history  mav  eive  hini 
some  claim  to  the  avmpathy  of  its  possessors,  whose  present  labours  may  be  pro- 
ductive of  inteUectual  gretification  to  themselves,  and  whose  future  undertaking  if 
blessed  by  Divrae  Providence,  may  sow  the  seeds  at  least  of  benefit  to  other  wflely. 
scattered  remons  of  the  ^rth.  w«uwy 

I.  '^**  \°a'  uf"'  *r  ^&  °'  America,  I  frankly  submit  this  appeal ;  and  at  your 
handa  I  doubt  not  I  ahall  experience  that  cordial  and  friendly  reception  which  may 
amooth  the  ruggednesa  of  a  pilgrim's  path,  aisd  sooth  the  pillow  of  an  exile's  repose! 

J.  S.  Bvcnmiuif. 


APPENDIX. 


493 


No.  IV. 

Northern  States  belonging  to  the  tSSn  Un?L T„i      "'u''"^'''''  ""«'  '^e  other 
compact  of  the  first  repubLan  union   we"eW,lS^V*'."  '^"""^^  "'e  origin,! 

Massachusetts. 

the  .„'£  :?  S;?pti;XS  VtLl"^^^^^^^^^^  ^"-•'"""'  on 
tives  of  the  United  St.tee,  have  been  lakj  on  S«  .  '?  '°  '^^«0"««  «>f  Represent*, 
the  infamous  rule  of  "  PattonTResolution""  """"^  """^  unreferred,  under 

And  have  they  spurn'd  thy  word, 
.„,    Thou  of  the  old  Thirtben  ! 
Whose  .0.1,  where  Freedom's  blood  first  pour'd, ' 
Hath  yet  a  darker  green  !  ^        ' 

Tread  the  weak  Southron's  pride  and  lust 
iny  name  and  cojnsels  in  the  dust  1 
And  have  they  closed  thy  mouth, 

And  fix'd  the  padlock  fast, 
aiave  of  the  mean  and  tyrant  South. 
■    '  ^,,  J' ">is  thy  fate  at  last? 

Old  Massachusetts  !  can  it  be 
That  thus  thy  sons  must  speak  of  theel 
Call  from  the  Capitol 

Thy  chosen  ones  again, 
Unmeet  for  them  the  base  control 

Of  •lavery's  curbing  rein! 
Unmeet  for  necks  like  theirs  to  feel 
1  he  chafing  of  the  despot's  heel ! 
Call  back  to  Quincy's  shade 
That  steadfast  son  of  thine : 
'  'f'hy.nomage  must  be  paid 
1 0  Slavery's  pagod-shrine, 
Seek  out  some  meaner  offering  than 
1  he  free-born  soul  of  that  old  man ! 

Call  that  true  spirit  back, 

So  eloquent  and  young : 
In  his  own  vale  of  Merrimack 

Wo  chains  are  on  his  tongue ! 

?h'"f  ""'""'''"'"'"Id.keenair, 
Than  wear  the  Southron's  shackle  there. 

Ay,  let  them  hasten  home, 

And  render  up  their  trust ; 
Through  them  the  P.lgrim  state  is  dumb. 

Her  proud  lip  in  the  dust ! 
Her  counsels  and  her  gentlest  word 
Of  warning  spurn'd  aside,  unheard ! 
Let  them  come  back,  and  shake 

^!'«ba^e  dust  from  their  feet: 
And  with  the,r  tale  of  outrage  wak; 
Ar,A   u     '^'^ '^^"'s  whom  they  meet: 
And  show  before  indiffnar.t  m.n 

lUe  scars  where  Slavery's  chain  hath  been. 
42 


494 


APPENDIX. 


Back  from  the  Capitol, 

It  is  no  place  for  thee ! 
Beneath  the  arch  of  heaven's  blue  wall 

Thy  voice  may  still  be  free  ! 
What  power  shall  chain  thy  spirit  there, 
In  Ood's  free  sun  and  freer  airl 

A  voice  is  calling  thee 

From  all  the  martyr-graves 
Of  those  stern  men,  in  death  made  free, 

Who  could  not  live  as  slaves  : 
The  slumberings  of  thy  honour'd  dead 
Are  for  thy  sake  disquieted  ! 

The  curse  of  Slaver ,  comes 

Still  nearer,  day  by  day ; 
Shall  thy  pure  altars  and  thy  homes 

Become  the  spoiler's  prey  1 
Shall  the  dull  tread  of  feiter'd  slaves 
Sound  o'er  thy  old  and  holy  graves  1 

Pride  of  the  old  Thirtken  ! 

That  curse  may  yet  be  stay'd  : 
Stand  thou,  in  Freedom's  strength,  between 

The  living  and  the  dead  : 
Stand  forth,  for  God  and  Liberty, 
In  one  strong  effort,  worthy  thee ! 

Once  more  let  Faneuil  Hall 

By  freemen's  feet  be  trod. 
And  give  the  echoes  of  its  wall 

Once  more  to  Freedom's  God ! 
And  in  the  midst,  unseen,  shall  stand 
The  mighty  fathers  of  thy  land. 

Thy  gather'd  sons  shall  feel 

The  soul  of  Adams  near, 
And  Otis  with  his  fiery  zeal. 

And  Warren's  onward  cheer : 
And  heart  to  heart  shall  thrill,  as  when 
They  moved  and  spake  as  living  men. 

Flingfrom  thy  Capitol 

Thy  banner  to  the  light. 
And  o'er  thy  charter's  sacred  scroll, 

For  Freedom  and  the  Right, 
Breathe  once  again  thy  vows,  unbroken, 
Speak  once  again  as  thou  hast  spoken. 
On  thy  bleak  hills  speak  out ! 

A  world  thy  words  shall  hear ; 
And  they  who  listen  round  about, 

In  friendship  or  in  fear. 
Shall  know  thee  still,  when  sorest  tried, 
"  Unshaken  and  unterrified." 


No.  V. 


The  followmg  is  the  correspondence  and  paper  on  Duelling  refened  to  in  the  chap- 
ter  on  W  ashington,  at  page  187,  and  it  is  given  here,  partly  for  the  purpose  of  shelv- 
ing the  effects  produced  by  it  in  the  United  States,  but  bIso  in  the  hope  that  as  a 
noble  peer,  the  Earl  of  Mountcashell,  has  at  this  moment  a  notice  before  the  House 
of  Lords  for  a  committee  to  inquire  into  the  best  mode  of  suppressing  duellimr  in 
England,  it  may  be  productive  of  some  good  here. 


tl 

P 
w 

ti 

fl 
m 

ol 

q' 

ei 

% 
aa 


APPENDIX. 


495 


(From  the  New-  £mk  Amtrican,  March  6,  1838 ) 

to  S"'oridenl'„^7rme"^^^^^^^^^^^  '"-  to  h.ve  turned  .11  mind, 

if  po«ible,  be  preventer  irthi.virw.nd  in  YJi'^'T''""^^ 

Kfeje=SSeE^S 

the  aufhor  to  the  bJII;^  K  u'en    of  Ithhe'^'L"  '  thVZ  r"  "'k"'"?  '^ 

eUborate,  able,  and  occasionally  eloquent  ^^  '""•' '  """"''"•    ''  " 

the'',°ub;cro?l'S;:ihirh1  IZ'^I^Zl '"  ^?'  '--"^.EngW. .  p.per  on 

recting  public  .entime'nron.'rst4o,rt,^^^^^^^^^  '"^  "-' '"  -- 

like  to  give  publicity  to  the  docu.enl  l^^^^'and  rl^pSflJ^r?^^^^^^^^^^ 

E.  C.  Dklavan. 

.0  barbarous  a  practice.     I  accord  nX.l/ht.^^     °^  *"""'"  '^H''^  countenance, 
to  which  you  refer  •  and  a.  tW^  w^f^     ^n  ""°"«  ""/  P"?"*  ^'"  »>'«  document 

miration  of  the  woild.    ^  I L   '  !  /  "***  *=''"™  *°  ""'  K"""'*^^  "d  "d- 

«  wiirm.  I  ,nj^  n,y  jggj  gjj.^  y^j^^  respectfully, 

J.  S.  BUCKINOHAU. 
K.A.0N.  FOR  LEOIStATIV,  INTKRP.RENO.  TO  PRKVBHT  TH,  PRACTICE  OP  BC«I.UN«. 

Addressed  to  the  Membew  of  both  Houses  of  Parliament,  in  1836.  by 

J.  S.  BOCKINGHAM,  Esq,  M.l».  ' 

have  anduced  aae,  who  at  one  period  of  my  l.fe  saw  Bo'-Httiro-bj-e^tiJn^bl^'m'JuIumg" 


SI 


496 


APPENDIX. 


aa  to  hazard  my  own  life  at  a  moment  the  moat  critical  and  painful  in  all  my  hiatory, 
to  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  aa  ineflBcient  for  all  good  purpoaea  aa  it  ia  now- 
erful  for  evil.  o       r    r  t~ 

There  ia  one  reaaon  that  haa  hitherto  prevented  gentlemen  from  denouncing  duel- 
ling in  the  aenate,  and  aeeking  to  effect  ita  abolition  by  law  ;  and  this  haa  been  the 
rear  of  being  thought  wanting  in  courage  or  epirit,  and  seeking  to  shelter  their  per- 
sonal timidity  under  a  legal  prohibition.  This  want  of  moral  courage  ia  far  more 
frequent  than  the  absence  of  animal  bravery.  There  are  many  men  who  would  boldly 
face  the  cannon's  mouth,  though  they  could  not  stand  up  against  an  absurd  and  re- 
volting  custom  of  society,  if  Fashion  had  stamped  it  with  its  approbation ;  while  the 
fear  of  man  is  more  i-owerful  in  ita  operation  on  the  great  bulk  of  the  community  than 
the  fear  of  God,  there  will  be  always  found  men  weak  enough  to  yield  up  their  judg- 
menta  to  those  fears,  and  violate  what  they  know  to  be  the  injunctions  of  religion, 
the  dutiea  of  morality,  and  the  ties  of  parental  and  domestic  aflfection,  because  they 
cannot  summon  courage  enough  to  withstand  the  reproaclits  of  the  world. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  difficulties,  I  shall  endeavour  to  show  that  the  practice 
of  duelling  IS  unchristian,  unjust,  ineffectual,  and  absurd  ;  that  the  present  state  of  the 
law  respecting  it  is  inefficient  and  inoperative  ;  and  that  it  is  perfectly  practicable  to 
devise  a  remedy  which  will  admit  of  the  amicable  and  pacific  adjustment  of  all  those 
differences  now  made  the  subject  of  appeal  to  arms,  and  settled  often  in  the  shed- 
ding of  innocent  blood. 

To  show  that  it  is  unchristian  requires,  perhaps,  but  little  proof.  A  hundred  texts 
of  scripture  might  be  quoted  to  establish  the  utter  irreconcilability  of  such  a  practice 
with  the  Christian  code ;  but  I  content  myself  with  merely  saying  that,  as  suicide  or 
self-destruction  la,  by  the  common  consent  of  Christiana  of  every  denomination, 
held  to  be  a  crime  of  the  deepest  die,  the  practice  of  duelling,  which  places  botb 
the  combatanta  in  the  position  of  men  voluntarily  risking  their  lives  in  privat?  quarrel 
and  permitting  a  reciprocal  suicide  to  be  perpetrated  for  the  satisfaction  of  private 
vengeance  alone,  must  be  deemed  contrary  to  the  very  essence  and  spirit  of  Chria- 
tianity,  which  teachea  forgiveness  of  injuries,  and  the  return  of  good  for  evil,  as  the 
sacred  duty  of  every  man  professing  the  Christian  faith.  Upon  what  other  ground 
than  Its  utter  repugnance  to  the  dictates  of  religion  is  it  that  the  clergy  are  exempt 
from  amenability  to  ita  bloody  and  barbarous  code  1  For  no  chaplain,  even  when 
serving  on  warlike  expeditions,  could  dare  to  countenance  a  private  duel,  nor  is  he 
ever  expected,  however  gross  the  insult  he  may  receive,  to  resent  or  to  avence  it  bv 
such  unchristian  means.  *         ' 

That  it  ia  unjust  is  quite  as  susceptible  of  proof ;  and  that  it  is  ineffectual  and  ah- 
surd,  very  few,  indeed,  presume  to  deny.  .  Whatsoever  is  just,  manly,  and  honest, 
men  are  generally  proud  to  do  openly,  that  they  may  enjoy  the  applause  and  com- 
mendation  of  the  world.  But  the  duellist  shrinks  away  from  the  public  gaze,  and 
tacitly  confesses  the  injustice  of  his  proceeding,  by  shrouding  it  from  the  public  eye 
in  a  mean  and  evasive  secrecy.  That  it  is  ineffectual  is  just  as  clear,  as  a  duel  never 
yet  proved  who  was  right  and  who  was  wrong  in  the  quarrel  out  of  which  it  arose, 
but  lelt  the  merit  and  demerit  of  the  parties  in  the  dispute  just  where  it  was  before 
And  that  it  is  absurd  must  be  admitted  from  the  fact  that,  instead  of  its  accomplish- 
ing  the  end  at  which  it  aims,  namely,  to  rectify  some  evil,  or  afford  satisfaction  to 
some  wounded  feeling,  it  often  adds  murder  to  the  insult  sought  to  be  atoned  for,  and 
leaves  the  innocent  and  injured  parly  seeking  redress  to  measure  an  untimely  grave 
at  the  root  of  the  wanton  and  unprovoked  aggressor. 

Let  us  take  a  very  ordinary  case.  A  gentleman  makes  an  assertion,  which  is  sup. 
posed  by  one  hearing  it  to  be  incorrect.  He  at  first  denies  its  accuracy.  The  ori- 
ginal assertor,  jealous  of  his  reputation,  protests  against  the  contradiction  ;  and,  after 
a  tew  irritating  expressions  on  either  side,  the  one  pronounces  that  what  the  other 
has  said  is  false,  A  challenge  ensues,  and  the  matter  is  referred  to  seconds.  To  do 
what !  To  ascertain  whether  the  assertion  made  is  true  or  false  1  Not  at  all;  for 
that  18  left  untouched,  as  though  it  were  a  matter  of  the  utmost  indifference.  But  to 
see  which  of  the  two  are  the  most  wrongheaded  and  the  most  obstinate  ;  the  seconds 
Bsually  conceiving  it  to  be  their  duty  to  preserve  their  own  reputfltion  for  courage  by 
not  pcrmiiiing  the  respective  principals  to  give  way  to  each  other  by  any  admissioa 
that  can  be  interpreted  into  a  symptom  of  fear;  and  thus,  from  the  dread  of  being 
thought  to  be  afraid,  by  making  mutual  concessions,  both  parties  meet  ia  the  field, 
■nd  the  hfe  of  one  or  the  other  la  sacrificed. 


APPKNDIX. 


497 


Th«  earliest  dueli  that  were  fought  were  to  sare  livee.    They  were  ainirle  com- 
bat.  and  inal.  of  strength  and  ekilf  between  eminent  and  di.  "nffed  inX^^^^^^ 
to  aettle  national  ditTerences  by  the  aacrilice  of  one  life  instead  of  many  and  to  snare 
the  t^  copiou.  effuaion  of  human  blood.     Such  wa.  the  comb,   between  Dio.nedoS 

Horafi":nd  Cu  atiMi;  T''"  ?f  ''"^''!  "l'  ""'  '^™J'"' '  •-•>  thromSrof  the 
noratii  and  Uiriatii,  in  the  war  between  the  Romans  and  the  Albana  ;  and  auch  the 

werKi  f„?"'f  *"  r''  ^"""V''"  P'"""""''' "  «"=""«»««' '"  Ho  y' Wrft  The." 
.W  J?l  "•"»"•' "«'«»'y..«n<i  «o  .pare  the  liye.  of  thousand.,  by  making  the 
iMue  of  the  aingle  combat  definitive  of  the  question  in  di.pute.     They  were  iLre? 

eem  Jfd  h"„' t*^  '"5'*  '"  '*'"'  P*""5  •"«',««'"'°ny.  were  foug^bt  in  the  preaenTe  Sit 
^ive  o  ti™  •  F** ''""'  '  ■? ^""'^  ^"''  ""  ""«  ""«="'"'  ^hL  public  authority  could 
Zl  the  ..1  nSlI  '"  •""  ''!f'  """"  '^r  "''"'«  »*'*«'"«'J  l".  »!'«  duel  wa.^ouX 
bu  bSweeTirS  T  '^^  T?"^  ""'*[  *"A'*""'  ""y  »»«  '°«'''*«>"*d  ihe  com- 
thi  «ff«  „f  n   r  S^.J^S'"*"  •"/„<^«'»"e  the  D»ne  for  the  dominion  of  England  • 

rv  t£  ri»h?wi?h  tU /""'  ?  P^**"'"*  "'•'  ?"*••  •"'^  "^  Ki'^hard  the  Second  ul 
Wil  iam  IhVpw  .  ^'"«  "^  ^"""f;     ^'  ">«  P"'<«*  "^  'he  Norman  conquest, 

til^i,  ^ffi.,^  .  '^"'  ?  "'t'""8e  to  Harold,  on  the  day  before  the  battle  of  H.a^ 
tings,  offering  to  .pare  the  efl^usion  of  blood  which  must  follow  from  the  meeting  o7 

evy'r^a  mlV'^"' ','"'  ""«.*'r  i"  •'"«!•'  -="""«''•  whTch  Harold  h^ow^ 
ever,  refused.  If  the  modern  duel  were,  like  this,  only  entered  on  for  national  our. 
poses  and  to  spare  human  blood,  the  objection  to  it  woSid  be  irreatlv  leaSened     ^ 

A  aecond  cause  of  duel  sprung  up  when  the  Goths  and  Vindals  overran  the  de- 
clining  empire  of  Rome,  and  brought  with  them,  from  their  northern  aK  a  mif 
H  V^'w  IT'^'T  ""^J'""^"'''  <=<'"«'ge.  out  of  which  arosT  thVtrial  by  it 
deal,  by  which  the  parties  m  dispute  consented  to  refer  the  decision  of  the  rguHto^ 
innocence  to  the  arbitration  of  some  unseen  power  who  thev  nrnft...«,i  ,„  if  i 
would  interfere  in  behalf  of  the  innocent,  Sn^rilele' ^S  ^T'hegulty:^^^^^^^ 
onVlrbed."^"'  """'""  •^"'"  "°  ™""'  ""•'""''^  '•>"  '»>-  ''  does't^e  ;LX« 

.„  ^h„"''"^v'"f  "^  ''"*'  *"  «"ge"dered  by  the  feudal  institutions  of  our  ancestor, 
in  those  chivalrous  encounters  which  fill  the  page,  of  romance.  In  h^  siMo  com 
bat  the  parties  never  professed  to  fight  for  tLmselves,  but  to  avenge  thTcauw  of 

ni8  vassals,     ihe  knight  or  cavalier  defended  his  lady'a  reputation  at  the  noint  J 

if  sleUtU  deSn„ri  ""•*  *'  "PP""^'*  ""«  someltiraes'resS  f  oX g  ail 
o  some  petty  despot,  when  an  encounter  at  arras  followed  as  the  adiustment  of  th« 
dispute.  In  all  tl«se  combats,  however,  there  were  these  redeeming  tS-thev 
were  more  generous  than  selfish;  they  exhibited  prowes,!  aeTtyTk^ll^nd  mlnlJ 
bearing;  they  were  open,  public,  avowed,  legal,  authorized,  f n7;ven  honou«d  b^ 
the  existing  feelings  and  manners  of  the  age.  It  is  unnecessarv  to  add  thVt  th«  m„7 
ern  duel  ha.  but  very  slight  trace,  of  resemblance  to  thU^  ^  """  '^^  '^°^' 
,rm.  rlr  TJ"  r^'  ^"'^  perceptions,  however,  of  the  injustice  of  such  appeals  to 

their  being  about  to  engage,  each  mounted,  the  king  interposed  T.s  authority  ind 
A.7n'i> "";' r "^  'T u^'  ■''"S'^'""'  '*"'  ""^  <■««  ^«"  yeo".  tho  other  for  Se  '' 

mi^  kes  we  mat' nUl  '^\TV^  P'!"'''"^  '^S'''"'""  °"  ">"  ""^j  Jt  by  whoso 
m  stakes  we  may  profit,  and  be  directed  into  a  better  course.  I  may  nerhaos  be  Z- 
mitted  to  state  the  following  fact..  At  the  close  of  the  16  h  ceXy,  Wtho 
Second  and  Philip  the  Fair,  each  published  edict,  against  duelling  Iho  first  nro° 
hibitmg  It  altogether,  and  the  .econd  f,lacing  it  under  certain  res^taints  These 
however,  were  ineffectual,  for  this  reason  only!  namely,  the  gre"t  facS  with  whfch 
pardons  were  obtained  by  those  who  disobeyed  the  law.  It  is  said  tS  in  the 
course  o  ten  years  there  have  been  granted  upward  of  six  Lsanddi  charges  or 
pardons  to  those  who  had  violated  the  laws.  This  i.  exactly  the  state  of  thSs  in 
England  at  the  present  moment.     The  law  pronounce,  killinj  in  a  duel  to  be  mur 

Vol!  J__3  jj^'"^— "">>  ^^^  Ccrtairuy  that  no  jury  will  convict,  because  they  can- 


fff 


'M 


496 


APPENDIX. 


not,  without  doing  violence  to  their  consciences,  put  the  midnight  murderer  and 
voluntary  combatant  on  the  same  level— is  such  that  no  man  is  dct«rred  from  riakinir 
his  own  life  or  taking  that  of  another  in  single  combat,  from  any  fear  of  the  penaltiea 
of  the  law,  which  he  knows  will  never  be  enforced.  In  the  same  manner,  Henry  the 
*  ourth  of  France,  in  the  first  five  years  of  whoae  reign,  we  are  told,  no  less  tljan  four 
thousand  gentlemen  perished  in  single  combat,  yielding  to  the  persuasions  of  his  able 

ffl'fto '*'"'  ""*  ^"''*'  ®""y'  ''*'''  *  <=<"""=''  of  his  nobility  and  officers  at  Blois,  in 
1602,  at  which  edicts  were  published  inflicting  the  severest  penalties  on  duellists 
But  here  again,  as  in  the  former  case,  the  law  was  wholly  inoperative ;  as  pardons 
were  so  easily  obtained  by  those  who  offended  it,  ihat  none  of  the  penalties  were 
ever  enforced.  The  conduct  pursued  by  Gustavus  Adolphus,  king  of  Sweden,  was 
more  prompt  and  deceive.  During  one  of  his  campaigns  in  Russia,  the  practice  of 
duelling  had  reached  such  a  height  in  his  own  army  that  he  denounced  death  aeainst 
any  vvho  should  engage  in  it.  Two  officers  in  high  command,  nevertheless,  subse- 
quently quarrelled,  and,  knowing  the  king  to  be  inflexible,  they  did  not  dare  to  ficht 
without  asking  his  permission.  It  was  granted  ;  but  on  condition  that  the  kin«  him- 
self should  be  an  eyewitness  of  the  combat.  The  time  and  place  being  appointed 
the  combatants  appeared ;  when  they  found  the  king,  accompanied  by  a  small  body 
of  infantry,  whiclihedrew  in  a  circle  round  them;  and,  calling  the  provost  marshal 
to  attend  as  executioner,  he  said,  "  Let  the  combatants  continue  until  one  is  slain  • 
and  the  instant  that  occurs,  do  you  behead  the  other  before  my  eyes  "  The  jren' 
erals  (for  the  officers  were  of  that  high  rank),  pausing  at  the  inflexible  determination 
of  their  sovereign,  mutually  embraced,  and  forgave  each  other  in  the  presence  of 
their  monarch ;  solicited  and  received  his  pardon,  and  promised  to  be  as  they  con- 
tinued till  death,  firm  and  faithful  friends.  Joaeph  the  Second,  the  emperor  of 
Germany,  in  a  letter  written  with  his  own  hand  to  one  of  his  general  officers  dated 
Vienna,  August,  1722,  ssys:  ' 

"I  will  not  suflTer  duelling  in  my  army.  I  despise  the  maxims  of  those  who  pre- 
tend to  justify  it,  and  to  kill  each  other  in  cold  bfood.  I  feel  high  esteem  for  officers 
who  courageously  expose  themselves  to  the  enemy.  The  indifference  with  which  they 
brave  death  in  battle  is  uaeful  to  their  country ;  but  there  are  among  them  men  ready 
to  sacrifice  everything  to  revenge,  and  to  the  lialred  which  they  bear  to  their  ene- 
mies. I  despise  them.  Such  men  are,  in  my  opinion,  no  better  than  the  Roman 
glaoiators.  .Call  a  court-martial  to  try  the  two  officers,  who  have  given  and  received 
challenges  to  fight.  Examine  the  subject  of  their  quanel  with  the  impartiality  which 
I  require  from  every  man  who  is  invested  with  the  office  of  rendering  justice  •  and 
let  him  who  is  guilty  submit  to  his  fate,  and  to  the  rigour  of  the  laws.  I  am  re- 
solved that  this  barbarous  custom,  worthy  only  of  the  times  of  Tamerlane  and  Baja- 
zet,  and  which  has  so  often  thrown  families  into  mourning,  shall  be  repressed  should 
It  even  cost  me  the  half  of  my  officers  to  effect  it.  There  are  still  men  who  know 
how  to  unite  bravery  with  the  duties  of  a  faithful  subject.  It  is  they  who  resoect 
the  laws  of  the  state."  ^ 

In  the  reign  of  Louis  the  Thirteenth,  the  successor  of  Henry  the  Fourth,  and  sur- 
named  the  Just,  the  law  against  duellists  was  so  rigorously  put  in  force,  that  men 
who  were  morully  wounded  in  the  combat  were  dragged  to  the  gibbet,  and  there 
huna  up  by  the  hands  of  the  public  executioner  before  they  died  of  their  wounds 
In  the  reign  of  Louis  the  Fourteenth,  in  the  year  1609,  a  court  of  honour  was  es- 
tablished for  considering  and  deciding  on  all  points  theretofore  settled  by  appeals  to 
arms ;  and  from  that  period  the  number  of  duel;  began  greatly  to  decline,  as  un- 
doubtedly they  would  do  in  any  country  where  so  much  more  just  and  satisfactory  a 
method  than  the  barbarous  one  at  present  in  use  should  be  adopted  for  the  settling 
of  all  persona!  matters  of  dispute.  In  1712,  Augustus,  king  of  Poland,  prohibited 
duelling  in  his  kingdom  by  severe  edicts.  Even  Christophe,  the  late  president  of 
Hayti,  decreed  that  any  individual  engaged  in  a  duel,  either  as  principal  or  accessory 
ahould  be  shot  as  a  rebel  against  the  state,  a  violator  of  justice,  and  a  disturber  of  the 
public  peace ;  with  a  just  reservation,  however,  that  if,  in  the  course  of  the  legal  in- 
vestigation, it  should  appear  that  only  one  person  was  to  blame  as  the  original  asgres- 
»or,  the  punishment  should  fall  on  him  alone. 

In  turning  from  foreign  states  to  our  own  country,  I  find  high  names  and  great  au- 
thorities in  favour  of  legislative  attempts  to  denounce  and  punish  the  practice  of 
duolline.  In  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  that  of  her  successor,  James  the 
First,  the  practice  having  much  prevailed,  the  great  Lord  Veruljm,  then  Six  Francis 


APPENDIX. 


499 


iJlu?  '•"".P^"!!^  '"  ^^^  r"«"''  ""  "'e-np'  has  been  made,  that  I  am  aware  of  to 

»t,7Il"\"''  many  persona  who  will  read  this,  perhaps,  and  still  think  that  after  alL 
Tlfn  K    f      ^  !u  ""  noblemen,  statesmen,  orators,  and  warriors     For  in  thi. 

Mr.  Joseph  Hamilton,  of  Dublin,  states  that  a  Captain  Kernan  had  killed  or  wound 

fhem  .fnon  ."""  f"f  =  '^"K^'J"'  ^^'''^  'challenged  8  officers,  and  woundeZ  of 
them  upon  a  smgle  day  ;  and  that  George  Robert  Fitzgerald  was  introduced  to  the 
Kmg  of  F  ance  as  an  Irishman  who  had  previously  fou|ht  26  fatal  duels"    An  offi 
woiT'H ''^  '•'\"''P°"''  °f  ^''2  «"".  f""nd  63  individuals  were  killed  and  % 

ZJof  the  uS&do""r''  "  ""r"'  ''  P'^*^"'  '^'  '^«  noWemen  and"ge„' 
nfffl  »      -TL  °  Kmgdoin  have  no  adequate  security  against  a  challenpe  or  a  , 

tw  eTthe  eSti:r2:iltrv"c  ",  '""'^T  "Z  ""'^  '^  P''"^'''  '"  painful  di'Sty'b" 
iween  ine  existmg  mil  tary  code  and  the  disrepute  which  is  attendant  on  it.  itriot 

fectlT/'/f'  "*"''  ^'  ''  P™''''"''''^  ^y  ">«  '=''"'i"''l  l^w  or  rying  a  fellow   X 

if  militarvtonour"„"ott  "'?  """^  ^''"?^"^'^'  '^  '»>«  ''^«P'"''=  and  u^nwrit  en  cod^ 
"L"1"'7V""°"''  "°' '°  «n'l"fe  an  insult  nor  refuse  a  chal!en»«.  Several  B-iti-h 
offi.c„,  indeed,  nave  been  so  spurned  by  their  associates,  that  they  were  compelled  S 


600 


APPENDIX. 


mire  from  the  public  service,  beoaute  they  icted  in  obedience  to  the  irticles  of  wn 
and  'he  injunction!  of  their  sovereign,  in  refuiing  to  fight  duels  for  the  most  trifling 
ctuiea  of  quarrel. 

I  would  ask  whether  auch  a  state  of  things  aa  this  ought  to  be  suffered  to  continue 
for  a  ainglo  moment  longer ;  tho  religion  of  the  country  denouncing  a  practice  which 
ia  nevertheless  followed  by  the  highest  personages  in  the  slate;  the  civil  lawa  of 
the  country  denouncing  a  practice  which  ia  nevcrlheleaa  followed  by  the  legislators, 
the  Judges,  and  the  legal  profession  at  large  ;  the  military  law  denouncing  a  practice 
which  must  nevertheless  bo  followed  by  naval  and  military  oRicers,  or  their  aocioty 
be  ahunned  and  their  prosperity  in  the  service  forever  destroyed.  What  must  be 
the  inevitable  effects  of  all  thia  but  to  bring  the  authority  of  religion,  law,  and  disci- 
pline equally  into  contempt,  and  to  set  up  the  fickle  Goddess  of  Fashion  aa  the  au- 
premo  power  in  the  state  t 

As  the  legal  authorities  upon  the  subiect  may  not  be  familiar  to  all  readers,  I  will 
venture  to  quote  only  a  few.  Judge  DIackstone,  in  hia  Commentariea,  aays,  "  De- 
liberate duelling  is  contrary  to  the  lawa  of  God  and  man  ;  and  therefore  the  law 
haa  justly  fixed  the  crime  and  punishment  of  murder  on  principala,  and  aecoiids  also." 
Judge  Foster,  in  his  Discourse  on  Crown  Law,  says,  "  Deliberate  duelling,  if  death 
ensue,  is,  in  the  eye  of  the  law,  murder."  Sir  Edward  Coke,  in  hia  Institutes,  says, 
"  Single  combats,  between  any  of  the  king's  subjects,  is  strictly  prohibited  by  the 
laws  of  this  realm,  and  on  this  principle,  that  in  states  governed  by  law,  no  man,  in 
consequence  of  any  injury  whatever,  ought  to  indulge  the  principle  of  private  re- 
venge." Sir  Matthew  Hale  says,  "  This  is  a  plain  case,  and  without  any  question. 
If  ono  kill  another  in  fight,  even  upon  the  provocation  of  him  that  ia  killed,  thia  is 
murder."  Mr.  Justice  Grose,  Mr.  'uatice  Buller,  and  others  of  great  eminence  might 
be  also  cited,  all  concurring  as  l...y  do  in  the  same  view,  namely,  that  no  amount 
of  provocation,  no  sense  of  wounded  honour,  no  feeling  of  personal  insult,  no  extent 
of  private  wrong,  ran  ever  justify,  or  even  palliate,  ao  falae  a  method  of  aeekmg 
redress. 

The  remedy  that  I  shall  venture  to  propose  for  thia  evil  will  be  found  to  be  very 
simple,  perfectly  practicable,  justifiod  by  precedent,  warranted  by  analogy,  and  sanc- 
tioned by  experience  and  success.  It  is  founded  on  these  two  single  principles.  Ist. 
That  there  shall  be  competent  tribunals  established  to  take  cognizance  of  all  oflTen- 
ces,  so  as  to  leave  no  man  without  a  remedy  for  wrong,  and  by  this  meana  to  de- 
prive him  of  all  motive  for  taking  the  law  into  hia  own  hands.  Sdly.  That  for  all 
contempt  or  infraction  of  the  authority  of  auch  tribunals,  the  punishments  should  be 
no  more  severe  than  public  opinion  would  approve,  ao  as  to  ensure  their  being  enfor- 
ced ;  by  enlisting  public  sympathy  alwaya  in  favour  of  the  respecter  and  observer 
of  the  law,  rather  than  with  its  enemies  and  violators.  The  provisions  which  I 
should  suggest  as  the  substance  of  any  legislative  enactment  would  be  these  : 

1.  That  courts  of  honour  shall  be  established,  with  full  powers  to  take  cognizance 
of,  hear,  and  determine  all  cases  referred  to  them  for  adjudication  by  parties  conceiv- 
ing themselves  to  b»  insulted  or  aggrieved ;  and  that  the  decisions  of  such  courts 
shall  be  binding  on  both  appellants,  under  penalties  to  be  hereafter  specified. 

2.  That  these  courts  shall  be  constituted  of  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than 
seven  individuals,  of  a  rank  as  nearly  as  may  be  attainable  to  that  of  the  partiea  ma- 
king the  appeal ;  and  that  the  selection  and  nomination  of  such  individual  to  form 
the  courts  of  honour  prescribed  shall  be  vested  in  the  following  authoritiea :  For  the 
adjudication  of  all  cases  of  dispute  between  the  servants  of  his  majesty,  whether 
civil,  naval,  or  military,  the  principal  officer  in  that  department  of  the  public  service 
to  which  the  appealing  parties  may  belong,  at  the  nearest  station  to  the  spot  where 
the  dispute  may  have  arisen.  And  for  gentlemen  not  belonging  to  any  branch  of 
the  public  service,  the  senior  magistrate  or  the  sheriff  of  the  county  in  which  the 
points  of  difference  may  occur. 

3.  That  persons  having  any  cause  of  quarrel  not  cognizable  by  civil  or  military  law, 
but  such  as  is  usually  determined  among  gentlemen  by  reference  to  private  friends  or 
by  appeal  to  arms,  shall  select,  as  at  present,  each  a  second  or  representative,  who 
shall  have  power  and  authority  to  draw  up  a  statement  of  the  cases  of  their  respect- 
ive principals  in  writing,  copies  of  which  shall  be  interchanged  between  each,  and 
signed  by  both  parties. 

4.  That  the  statements  thus  drawn  up  shall  be  laid  before  the  proper  authority,  in- 
dicated in  a  preceding  clause,  with  a  request  that  he  will  summon  the  requisite  indi- 


APPENDIX. 


601 


•eve,,  d.y«  from  the  d.te  of  .uT      pp' JThlh   n^li     "'.  "'?","'ree  nor  more  than 

call  before  them  auch  mt  1  Jl"   ^/^Vdeem  nLlfr"'''  ?  "'"""  '"'•'•  •'«'•• 
or  wrmon  testimony  as  they  mav  con.^, C^i  .       "f  "'"y.  «'"i  receive  auch  oral 
after  which  the  pre.ulent  7.1   ,u^m  u,,  Jhl  ill^  'PP''"  >'«  '»  the  case  .„  di.pute 
the  court  of  honour  .hall  e.  h  d7.ve'   St  ooinr«'nH"1  '^'  -i"™"  »'  '"«""'"''  "^ 

78/'"'  !;'•«  -vo^ngeat  member  and  Jot.  u'pw^rJ^Uh  1''?  °"  ^  f"*"'  "^g'"" 
o'  age  ;  when  the  president,  as  iudi/e  «h«  i  „,f  l      "*  'emamdor  by  aoniority 

»»  by  the  majority  of  the  court  &/?„"]£.""■!  k"  l",'^,''''  **'''=»''  if  concurred 
and  without  appeal.  '  'nc'"«lod,  ahall  be  held  binding  on  all  partiea, 

.hall"  KLted'ro"tre;Xro7rhe  Xott°  '="-;'•  °^  """7'  '»•-  -""-'-» 

on  either  aide;  ilm  service  of  the  ,uror,„r  2?  '  ^r'*"'  "'"^  <='""' «""  •'viJence 
tuitous.  as  in  grand  junes  and  c  ju  t.  ma,tkl  ^'"'  "^  '*"*  T''  "^ '"""'"'  being  gra- 
party  proved  tS  be  the  aggre  "o  m  1 ;  d^  oi"'  T'"\''  ^"'."""'  '"  «"  ""^^  'he 
court  a.  being  in  the  wrong,  h  1  be  he  dCbL  .«  T"'^'"'"''''  ^^  "'"  ^"'"'='  "^ '»>• 
both  sides,  and  be  subject  to  be  deta^od  in  .  !  i  ^*  l'^*"?"'  "^  »"  '^e  costs,  on 
7.  That  the  refusal  on  the  part  of  al  i^du^d !«/  """'  """^  ?"»  "«  discharged, 
his  case  to  the  adjudication  o/^a  court  of  hZ  S"""?"'  taking  offence  to  refer 

be  taken  to  be  an  acquittal  of  the  partv  coT"?"""'''"''^.  "  "'"'*«  ''^'"'"''ed,  shall 
fuaal  of  any  one  part?,  when  commS'^te;  b^  'h?„tr'''V"  '''''"' '  ""'*  '^'^  "" 
«hall,  when  duly  authenticated,  brpShedLttK'  «ho  consent,  to  the  court. 
Uement  of  the  case.  puwished  under  their  authority  as  a  judicial  aeU 

CO Jrt  SiiouMn'rtempt*^anVs"ll^^^^  l"'' ''"""''  ^"'t^  "'^  ""'^ority  of  such 
deadly  weapons,  whether  a'tCilV'bemK  bi^'he""'  'T^'"^  *"  ''  ^"«'  ""'^ 
ing  penaliie.  .hall  be  imposed  on  'he  corvS  offL^  '"""^V"'  '""•  ">«  ^''"'"*' 
ends,  or  accessories  before  or  afte- the7»r  if  °*''"'«"'7hether  principals,  sec 
vice  of  hi.  majesty,  the  offendel  shall  it  L  '".'r"  "'"!'  ""'"'•  "'  '""'"•'•y  "r- 
and  deprived  of  aU  rank  and  pay  or  i  lforo?''nl'^[°'"  it"''  ?"''"'=  ^-^P'oyment. 
seven  years.     If  not  in  any  branch  of  H,oW  '"'  ""'"  ""««  ""'  exceeding 

dared  to  be  outlaws,  deprfved  of  aM  rank  ^n"  '''"'"•'ho  offenders  shall  be  de? 
privileges  as  British  subrecta  and  .*„  J^  ,'",  ""=?  ^^  """^  "^  «"  civil  and  political 
of  the  law.  ^'•'"'  """^  ■"»  P'»<=«'J  f°'  »  ''ke  period  without  the  protection 

of  the^'p^iieVXYg^d  ?;ryri?h:'K^^^^^^^^^^ 

cipal,  seconds,  and  accessories  shall  h«hlM^iMr°"'"  P"""'  '"c'^ding  prin- 
wto  may  he  injured,  eitherdTr'cctlv  or  InSS.  ."''L'  ^'^  r'''""'"'^  '•«P«"ti<>n  to  «H 
extent  of  maintaining,  as  far  as  thi  inin  '^'  ''^  ''",?^  ^°"'"'»  "'  <''"»h,  to  the 

families  and  dependa^s  thus  deprived  of  T'""''  °^''"  ""^  P""«»  «'"  "d^it,  the 
the  same  state  and  condi  ion  a.  ^he^toul.f'h''  "I'"'*'  P""««=."'"  «"''  ^upporteri,  ia 
occurred.  "*>'  ^''"''*  ^ave  been  maintained  had  no  such  death 

wouldTerunJM;"tSltplerell  t  f?""  ""•'""^'  ""'^  ">-.  ^  ^e'-e. 
ticability  of  .he  rem^edy  an^t  Stic!'  "tl  '"'i.'  ''""^  '"'"i  ^^  '"  'h"  ?"=' 
may  be  cited  in  support  of  both  JuZ  4  t  f '  '^''  P^PP^^d.  many  authorities 
Vised  of  compellinj^he  aaaressor  Al,  '""'u''''^'''  "  ^""'"^  »  "^^'^od  be  de- 

party.  which  the  w^rldwff esteem  eauaMvTpr,"^"  satisfaction  to  the  affronted 
the  hazard  of  life  and  fonune  as  wdl  orh^n^  '  ?  '.'""  "^'''^  *«  "°^  g*^«"  «' 
the  insult,  a  probability  of  th^disconl^""  P*^" '"""Ited  as  of  he  who  hath  given 

Here,  the'n,  we  have  sLdowedrhrd  "hat""-  ^'  ''■ '''^  '"'?'''  ^'  ''"''  °"'-" 
distinct  that  they  cannot  be  misUke'n  1  vl  l"'^r'  u"'  '"  ''""''  ""  ^^'^^  «"d 
can  give  "some  other  satisfacTioS  wM^h  ,h  "^'^  "*'""  ?[  honour  or  tribunal  which 
judge  deems  so  destrab  e  M  hIITuoI  V°'I^"'<'"''J  f 'cem,"  that  the  learned 
his  late  majesty,  George  the  FomhwL'off?  J  T^'f^  ^r.'^"'''  «->'•  '^at  when 
court  of  honour,  formed  of  aVthenlrh  "^  ^'^  '.''"  ^""^^  °^  Brunswick,  a 
coming  reparation ;  Tnd  he  states  tha?Prn"""V"""''  '^'T''^  '"'^  ^"'■''^"'J  «  be- 
have  established  rJr^.of\ttT.  ^'''  .^'"«''"''  B*""'^.  and  other  continental  state. 
•  *"'■"''"  '"^  ^'"=  P=acoabie  adjustment  of  personal  disputes. 


SOS 


APPENDIX. 


Eren  in  England  •  Briliah  court  of  chivalry  wm  formerly  in  *Ti.(««,..  i.  • 
to  enforce  full  reparalion  for  tho.e  grievance.  wSwerlJl^^^^^^ 
for  the  cognizance  of  common  law,  L  beTn^able  to  comM  the  d.ft'*.'  "*'".'* 
promptly  on  himaelf  the  lie  which  he  had  raa^ly  or  onju.T!ilt  o,  .„  "  u  "^t 
other  aubmiaaion  as  the  lawa  of  honour  miirht  roouir-  T?,?l?  1  «»  mal(e  such 
the  lord  high  conalable  and  the  earl  maralf  o„^v%„,^tl'?'*, '*'l '"''«'  »>«'»'• 
manent  high  con.t.ble  aince  the  e«cu,?on  if  SuffoS  duke  of  ^Ufki  "I!  "°  ^'l 
court  has  unfortunately  fallen  into  entire  diauae  Buckmgham,  that 

Ihe  moat  atnking  caaea  that  can  be  cited  m  to  the  orarticahilit.  «r  k 
are  two  mentioned  ly  Mr.  Samuel,  in  hia  "  H^ry  of  t^Br  tJ  h  Ll '"'t^?^?"'* 
penmg  .n  the  reign  of  George  the  Third.  The  one  wa.  in  »he  r..«  «?^'  I  "l  ^T 
ween  L.eutenant.general  Murray  and  Sir  William  ft^per  i'ml[L2  ^ 
ted  to  certain  differences  which  aro.e  out  of  the  triaUf  Ma.or  John'n  '"^"/»'»- 
67th  regiment,  and  Captain  Hedge.,  at  Antigua,  ^n  both  Ce Aj,  2.rT'  '^  "*•• 
tuted  the  courts-martiaf  at  their  respective  regiment.  in°o  a 'oun  of  k„J*"';'"'"- 
diatmg  between  the  parties.     The  grounds  orouarrel  wlV.h!  T".^  '**'  ""•• 

^tt:^:.rtr' """  f^  '»'«V'"r  -ara'Sc;;:,  rgirg'^.:";a 

were  dictated.  I  he  proposed  terms  wore  comnlitul  a.,iu  .^a  .i,  *  ^  .  ""®'"^* 
their  honour,  by  requi.'itio'n  of  the  Tourt  7o  aZ^  heirS.fference  the^irt^'^'^^'"* 
«nd  to  have  no  fsrther  conaequencea  His  maies  «•«  rnl^u!  .  V°  '^"""'"'e, 
ti.1  in  the  second  instance  c2nUined  .pecific  dfrect.on.  Th  .k""  '°  ""t  court-mar- 
"  If.  upon  the  representation  of  any  of Thl  p LS:,  ^ 'il  .^P^^^  f '"  *"'^'; 
•ny  unguarded  or  intemperate  expression  wWch  may  have  Chlrl"  '"P*S'  "^ 
.cknowledgment.  apologj.  or  concession  may  be  ^eL«a^  or  Iper  "[/'co.^h'''  'u 
prescribe  the  terms  in  which  the  same  shall  be  conceived  and  wm  .    .  7  ^^i" 

made  in  their  presence.     And  for  the  better  effectual  nrt'h««  ^     '*  J'  '°  '"* 

martial  have  hi.  majesty's  permis.  on  to  make  use  of  Ws^lt!  P"'P«"'"v'*'*'  ""'* 
injunction;  and.  if  ihe/shall  see  occasion,  to  ir^Jo.e  J  str^tar^^.T"'  •""«'"«>••!!'» 
partiea  until  a  report  shall  be  made  to  his  majesS'^  '""'  "P""  "">  "^  '»"» 

Here,  then,  i.  experience  of  the  perfect  practicability  a.  well  ..  .K«  -«  r       .. 

a  court  of  honour,  made  permanent,  which  might  be  armeTwiih  Zt  ''^  9^ '"h 
of  being  merely  temporarj.  and  founded  on  rofa  commSon,  ...i^r"'  '"""'* 
arate  occaaion.     I  may  aJd,  that  the  late  revered  .ndTi^mrt^Z  ^1^7 '^  'T 

|«.c.ice.„ot  lea.  «pro.chfu.lte^^!;°aS^;^a"r.S:ri%^^^^^^^^^^^ 

lite  society  ;  for,  were  it  not  for  the  ^«V7ftt  e.  ed  ^out'toThelS  ^k"*"  '"  ^'^ 
rudeness  and  incivility  would  prevail  »  To  thi/if  i.  .Jl  I  .  ^^^^^^^^  greatest 
polished  nations  of  antiquity,  fhe  EiVotians  hi  R,h  i  ^'^  w  'S^'  '*""  ">*  "'°»' 
Greeks,  knew  nothing  oUuch  a  pra?S  as  the  mS"<?''?^  ""*  r*"*'"""'  '""^  '»>• 
the  greatest  refineme'nt  of  m^nL^SL"  tTnl"  ct'oVr  *'TVe"rrH"r5 
most  barbarous  of  modern  nation.  >ho  p».i.    '', '"""""/o  oi /ear.     i  he  rudest  and 

are  those  among  wTomit  S;%tiLd"'";et'^S':ill^i^  "T-^of  ■ '"""' 
ners  were  harsh  and  ferocious  in  -h-  pti«JL     ^'^u'  ?  influence,  their  man- 


^^^ 


APPBMDIX. 


503 


crouching  under  the  onerilion  of  Zr  .L,  T  '» ,'^«''ave  ill,  buy|o  continuallr 
ror  the  L.d  of  he  STthJ^L{Z\^l  IJfl''  .T"  ""''  ''"''I  »*"  'hem  in  ter- 
in  the  world.  Now  bo.h^Tt Le.e'^C  lio^.^I ' ''^hJ?  """'  V/i  '"t  P"'""  ?«"»"• 
no  dre.d  of  being  died  to  .ccou^S  ,rei  cond.c^  bv 'n'.K  "  '^V,  *"'  '""y  ''"*•• 
from  doing  wh.t  They  deem  riaht  h  i,  onlv  on  »h-  ^  ^'"  *j".*''"  *■*""  "'«™ 
cowerd.  that  the  fear  of  a  S  can  ever  m»U„  .K  •uppo.it.on  of  their  being  arrant 
which  they  do  not  feel :  and  therefore  tLS™  "1  '^''"''  ^^  P'-f""*"*?  •  ".pect 
bi.tere.tcen.ure  ever  p  .  ed'o„  the  Jh.rtter  oT^  th''e  nTn^    "^u^'  ^""'""8  "  ">• 

offence.'^I  contend.  Sn  that  death  K^^^^^  ""*  """"  "^  ">• 


re7mtd?rLr&n:tr.Vl''r.Vclr'^^^  ""•  ..me^oVi-ng-wirh  Ihi 
•nJ  defeat  the  very  eToflaw  by  rovo  iin»  TJ^Z  '"  "*?•'""•  "^  "8*"  •"<>  J""*:'. 
to  avoid  being  .co'rn^^nd  .Ln'n'ed  j'  rZlT\".trtrtitr'""  ^'  '' 
or  even  to  prove  their  courage,  that  men  bo  to  ?he  field  tS  <i  S"*"  '"'T*"*="; 
which  they  atand  in  so  much  dread  ^  .h5„  '  -^     ^'"'  degradation,  tlen,  of 

who  .hall  be  proved  to  bTin, he  wron^ln^hn  P""'''^*"' '"  ^^  •"'"'='*'>  »"  '»«,«. 

«:orned  and  shunneH  II  o^te  io"  Iw^^^^^^^^^  ""*  " 

men  from  giving  other,  offence  Powerfully  than  any  fear  of  death  to  deter 

eveTy'*'dS::StruJ".if^^^^^^  '"-''«'>  f°'«'>e  «Jju.tment  of 

political  and  dvi  death?  ti.n^nfhl^e  or  .tZ.??  P'"""'  "I'  !"  P^'y'"''  ''"'  ^ 
lege.  a.  citizen.  ,  to  excMe  them  £m  .o"  ^Tv^  to  mM??K  """^  'l^^"  '""^  P"**' 
draw  from  them  the  protection  of  ^ekw.Ji„r„'  tl  .1  '*T  *"",""*"  =  "»  '*"'»- 
Uw.  aside,  have  ehown  that  "hey  wUnoVviJldnKH^  themselves  by  setting  those 
thi.  they  are  no  longer  entfied7o  Thl;"  orecl"''''""" '  ""''  '"""«  "^  ""^"^ 

rocVl'UlVatfoVtedrnt'^^^^^^^^^^  «="™  «-P'-  f-™  'hi.  recip. 

es  that  thI  practice  of  dtuing  i.  mCderZtor'l"'"'wh'  I'  P""*?'^-  "* !'"'"  '^'"'^ 

of  their  own  countrymen  and  friend,  I,  thi.tw'JK'^  ^^  ""'  .^T' "^  the  pistol- balls 
and  armies  are  composed!  BuU  is  .aid  thir  Ml  "  ""'k'"'  "^  '*'"*'''  ""  «^«" 
edly_to  all  honourable  extfnV  but  ii„  K^^l™"/' ^' "'^^^  ^'"'""''t. 
placed  are  bound  above  a»  thin™  t„  .J-T  .i"  "*""'*  '"'"''''  "'*  "'"'°"'»'  '•"'"ence  is 
they  set  tLi?own  sSfish  i^&.nVf  '^"'f  '""K"'  ^"'  '•>«  '»"»  '  '"•■'''  whenever 
themselves  unworthyof  tt  trus?  uT  "^'^  '^".i  *°'T"  "''"?•''''"-  ""^y  P'°'« 
military  men  have  even  less  eic use  th,n  ''T  "^^  '  "j*^'  '"•^'*^'  """  ""ar  and 
rous  practice.  The  c^untrv  nlar«  wl  ""^  "'u"  f'""!  ^°'  '■^«°"'"K  '»  ">«  barba- 
lege  'and  honour  oT  rearing    mTfrrTTf^nt'of  th^Zl  ^'"S  'ST  '"^  P"^'" 

.nd^oL'^ivesrSfcoSr  rett'Sor'tf'  ?  "^  rpp'y  -«"*^ 

beiniriu.tlv.onrilv/!f  il"  ?_°f''"f"8  'he  Supreme  Being,  and  the  dread  of 
" '      ' "'^  «>i^'"""  "f  ihc  Virtuous  aud  the  just.     To  defend  his 


■-:    I 


5   H 

1 


604 


APPENDIX. 


lib.rHM  and  th«  Uwt,  let  no  min  h«siUle  to  hazard  hit  life.     It  ■•  •  iruat  given  by 
Heaven  »ol  to  be  liglulv  wantoned  with  j  it  „  a  .acred  g.fi.  depoa.t.d  m "veK  man? 

whom  he  find,  around  him  or  brinua  mto  eai.luncb.  If  the  n.ff.an  or  the  braZr' 
livade  u.  peace,  or  aitompt  to  auTly  u»  honour,  let  the  united  pL",  of  h,  UvJ 
baaed  on  the  firm  fou.ul  un  of  public  opinion,  cru.h  them  with'.,,  r^lul.y  pole/ 
•nd  drive  ihoit^rom  that  .oc.ely  of  which  they  arc  the  bane.  Uut  letThfbfave  and 
patriotic  ciiizen  re.erve  hia  life,  which  ia  not  hi.  own  to  aacrifice  a   will   for  tho« 

may  f^ll  L  hZi:!^.'  "'7. "'"  '""■  "V"*""'  '",  ''"f"""  "f  "''"'y  «'"'  ""'h.  ha 
may  laii  a.  honoured,  and  hia  memory  be  aa  luat  v  reverrd   ■«  »v,n.-  ,„i<«    ;„  .u« 

Sparun  band,  left  their  bodie.  in  thc'str.it.  Jf  TlfeZpylt "  j  h.'d  .Wibed  on 
ho  impending  rock  the  ever  memorable  epitaph.  "Stranger,  go  and  repo  t  at  Suarta 
that  we  he  dead  here  in  vindication  of  the  lawa."  It  i.  to  kindle  and  keen  •  've^h  • 
noble  .eniiment  that  I  de.ire  to  aee  the  lawa  made  worthy  of  our  ?e.pec,  Ld  obed  ! 
ence;  and  with  the  conviction  that  the  mea.ure  I  have  Lmbly  eTnlended  w.  l 
conduce  to  tfai.  deairable  end.  I  truat  aome  legi.lative  meaaure.  founded  on  the  Drin- 
c.ple.  I  have  explained,  will  be  introduced  anJ  carried,  to  prevm  the  ba?ba  oSaTd 
•aiiffumary  practice  of  duelling.  h"""-'"  "w  uaroaroua  ana 

K„  .k®  '^.  ^Tl"  V'«,'°"»'  ^-ho  now  awaya  the  aceptre  of  England  encouraoed 
by  he  example  of  her  illu.trioua  predece.aor.  Queen  Anne,  have  the  humanrjnd 
moral  courage  to  recommend,  like  her,  the  abolition  of  duelling  in  aVueech  f  onnha 
•hrone.  And  may  the  lord,  and  common,  of  her  realm  .0  .u.t!in  thia^ir'uoureffort 
of  their  youthful  aovere.gn.  aa  that  all  the  wive.,  the  mother.,  and  the  VS"  of  iS 
hu.b.nH?""""  '""J  ^"^t  •x^"?'""  '°  *"*' ''"  '"''J«"y  "  'he  fi  .t  emancS lor  of  the" 

tvr.„n„nf*?"l'"'^.''""''r  ^""^  ""'  *'"''"°"»  '"d  b'oody  cuatomo  which  the 
tyranny  of  fashion  ha.  ao  ong  aubiected  them  '     No  .inol«  .rt  .h.l  -l  u  . 


No.  VI. 
It  i.  pleasing  to  be  able  to  follow  thi.  appeal  by  a  record  of  thp  intfiT«.f.«„  .^a 
Important    act,  that,  within  the  aeaaion  of  th^e^mericarCongre  .  in  w2  f  ^a. 

^'lric?o7col'ulk*Tr\"  u"'  "'.P'?*'^''''  I"'  giving  or  accepting,  within  the  D.a- 

Be  t  enac  Thv'.h!  V^"^T  'iS  ''«'"  ",''"''''  «"'*  '<>'  'he  puniahment  thereof. 
A  J;„,i      "    ).     ^  "'*  ^*""'*  '""^  """"^  of  Representative,  of  the  United  State,  of 

ila  cUl2  "^Ik"  ""ru'^'^'^'J'*'"  'f  ""y  P««°"  «hall,  in  the  Dial"  ct  of  S  um. 
bia,  challenge  another  to  fight  a  duel,  or  shall  send  or  del  ver  any  written  or  veZ 
message  purporting  or  intending  to  be  auch  challenge,  or'al  accepT"nv  such  chal 
laT  o7Zlf  L^'-  °'  ^"  '•"""'"8'y  ""y  »'  <^^''ve'r  any  s  ch  ctl  enge  or  me  I 
«fe'to  fiS  '\'"'7'"«'y  ""y  «»  deliver  an  acceptance  of  such  challenfe  or  mel 
sage  to  fight  a  dnel  m  or  out  of  said  district,  and  such  duel  shall  be  fouZ  in  0^0.!^ 
of  .aid  district  and  either  of  the  parties  thereto  shall  be  LtnotmSu  wounded 

nJ's.'.oh   h''n"''  '"'"''"K  ^"'y  '"  «"'=''  '^"«''  ""d  «^"y  person  caTymgVdelSr^ 
ing  such  challenge  or  message,  or  acceptance  of  such  challenge  or  message  as  afor« 
said,  and  all  others  aiding  or  abetting  therein,  shall  be  deemfd  gmUy  of  fdonv  and 

Tt  Til?"'"  ".>nV'"  ""y  *="""  ''°'»P^'«"'  '"  'he  trial  thefeTin  the  saTd  2"s 
trict,  shall  be  punished  by  imprisonment  and  confinement  to  hard  labour  in  the  neil 

rn'^thtoir  ""'  ""''"'"^  '^"  y^"''  -  •-'  ^'»-  five  yeart  in  tle'^diS: 

Sec.  2.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  if  any  person  shall  give  or  send  or  c»„.« 

to  be  given  or  sent,  to  any  person  in  the  District  of  Columbia/any  cha Se  o  fiZ 


citing  .uch  c,^n4::zrr,.':^:!i:^^7^,;;  'Ix-^  ;;,-f  .«.  or  J 

»nd.  on  conviction  thereof  in  any  court  comMteni  to  ?  5  ih-  IT™         ""•«»«m««nour, 

duel,  or  to  e„g.g.  m  .ingle  "3t  w,?h  Wde.3  v?   Slln'/"""'"**  "»  '^'"  * 
weapon  whateverTor  .hall  po.t  or  nub^ih  or  LI.  i„  Z  ''•"«•"'"•  '"•'"""•"'  or 

writing  charging  any  auch'^pJrl'' «'tcl  « "g "r' reS'.r  to  rcc'eo?'"""''  '"J! 
challenge  to  be  a  coward    or  uiinn  >».  «.►,..»      ^'^'mg  to   accept  any  auch 


No.  VII. 
(Re/trred  to  aipagt  837.) 

FlLLOW-CITIZINa, 

oX*nl"'VK  7  *"""•«''  f'"  "•ying  of  the  comor-.tone  of  the  Girard  Colleire  for 


Vot.  I.— 3  S 


48 


506 


APPENDIX. 


This  truth  no  man  felt  with  a  deeper  conviction  than  our  diatinguished  fellow-eil. 
ken,  whose  hutory  and  whose  design  in  founding  this  institution  may  aotlv  occudv 
for  a  few  momenis  our  attention.  '    "^  '  ^^^VJ 

We  all  remember,  and  most  of  ua  knew  him.  Plain  in  appearance,  simple  in  man- 
neiB,  frugal  m  all  his  habits,  his  long  life  was  one  unbroken  succession  of  intense  and 
untiring  industry.  Wealthy,  yet  without  indulging  in  the  ordinary  luxuriea  which 
wealth  may  procure,  a  stranger  to  the  social  circle,  indifferent  to  political  distinction 
with  no  apparent  enjoyment  except  in  impelling  and  regulating  tiie  multiplied  occu^ 
pationa  of  which  he  waa  the  centre,  whose  very  relaxation  waa  only  variety  of  labour 
he  paaaed  from  youth  to  manhood,  and  finally  to  extreme  old  age,  the  same  unchanjred! 
unvarying  model  of  judicious  and  auccessful  enterprise.  At  lenirth  men  bevan  to 
pie  with  wonder  on  this  mysterious  being,  who,  without  any  of  the  ordinary  itimu- 
lants  to  exertion,  urged  by  neither  his  own  wants  nor  the  wants  of  others,  with  riehea 
already  beyond  the  hopes  of  avarice,  yet  persevered  in  this  unceasing  scheme  of  ac' 
cumulation,  and,  possessing  so  much,  strove  to  possess  more  as  anxiously  as  if  ha 
possessed  nothing.  They  ^,d  not  know  that  under  this  cold  exterior,  and  aloof  in 
that  stern  solitude  of  hi.  mind  with  .11  that  .eeming  indifference  to  he  worW  .nd 
to  the  world',  opinions,  he  still  felt  the  deepest  sympathy  for  human  affliction  I^ 
nuraed  a  sUonger,  yet  a  far  nobler  and  wiser,  ambition  to  benefit  mnkiStC'evM 

"T^'!^  '^'Tlf'  ''"^'""1  '■""°*"  »f  •*'"  ^"'<J'»  "PP'""-*-  Hi'  death  fim  ,1 
vealed  that  all  this  accumulation  of  his  laborious  and  prolonged  existence  was  toS 
the  inheritance  of  u.  and  of  our  children,  that  for  our  and  their  comfort  the  dfy  of  hi! 
adoption  was  to  be  improved  and  embellished,  and,  above  all,  that  to  their  a/vanc" 
ment  m  science  and  in  mora  a  were  to  be  dedicated  the  fruit,  of  his  long  yeara  of  toiT 

hilV.X"^^^'  "'^^!r'."^  ""  '=""'"""'  ™'"«*  *"  ""«  'he  temptftfonof  bill 
himself  the  witness  and  the  administrator  of  this  bounty,  and  to  have  abstained  from 
•moying  the  applauae  of  his  grateful  countrymen,  who  would  have  acknowleS  S 
affectionate  respect  the  benefits  which  the/  derived  from  him.    Yet  even  thSlec  it 

™lCr''""  •"""t?".'"""  •i""  »""*  ■'•  «=•'"•»  <■<«  •  ""ind  like  bis;  ."d  we 
may  well  imagine  hat  the  deep  and  retired  atillne.s  of  hi.  spirit  was  often  scSh^d 
with  the  visions  of  the  laating  good,  and  perhaps,  too.  of  the  posthumous  irlorv  which 
he  waa  preparing.     Such  contemplationalie  might  well  indulge,  for  to  few  h«e  they 

^"„.*l^?r''':S*'^'  ^"^  l^e  moment  that  foundation-ftone  touched  the  eart^ 
the  name  of  Girard  waa  beyond  the  reach  of  oblivion.  He  haa  now  taken  hi.  VlnV 
among  the  pat  benefactor,  of  mankind.  From  this  hour  that  name  is  destld  "5 
•urrive  to  tHe  late.t  nosterity  ;  and  while  lettera  and  the  arts  exist  he  will  be  cJted 
M  the  man  who,  with  a  generou.  .pirit  and  a  aagaciou.  foresioht.  beoueathed  for  th« 
improve  .^nt  o  ha  fellow-men  the  accumulated  earning,  of  hi    fr  He  wJl  bo  r.! 

S  r„2  'M"  '^e'^i'V'"""  ^y  ">«  'r^''"  »"•«  ^*'s  which  he  cho."  to  i;  5'.  J 

nated,  and  with  which  he  commences  his  will-a  title  by  which  we  ourselVes  mav 
proudly  recognise  him,  aa  "  Stephen  Girard,  of  the  City  of  Philadelohia  in  the  co™'^ 

H^Itr  ?^  f  !^  t^"u^  *'"  '?"  *^"  performed  by  any  other  human  being 
His  wil  indeed  be  the  most  durable  basis  of  all  human  distinction,  a  wise  boner 
olence  m  the  cauae  of  lettera     The  ordinaqr  charity,  which  feeda  or  clothe  the  diL 

en^tlZZ^V'  "  "'i!''[T'.''°iy  '»»•  P^'y*'"'  «»"'"  °^  "•«  aufferer     But  th^ 
.  enlightened  beneficence  which  look,  deeper  into  the  w.nt.  of  our  nature  •  which  not 

merely  prolong,  existence  but  render,  that  existence  a  blessing,  by  pounnJiS 
these  recesses  of  sorrow  the  radiance  of  moral  and  intellectual  cultivition,  thw  i t  ia 
which  forms  the  world's  truest  benefactor,  and  confers  the  most  endurina  of  all  So  v  • 
a  glory  the  more  secure,  because  the  very  objects  of  that  benevolence  are  enabled  to 
repay  with  fame  the  kindness  which  sustains  them.  " 

It  1.  not  unreasonable  to  conjecture  that,  in  all  future  time.,  there  will  DtobabW 
be  m  existence  many  thouaand  men  who  will  owe  to  Girard  the  greate.iof  aTbtolZ 
ings,  a  virtuous  education;  men  who  will  have  been  rescued  from  wan?  Sd  Z^ 
fc  Tk"?'  ^"^  ""od  with  power  to  rise  to  wealth  and  distinction  AmZr 
them  will  be  found  some  of  our  best-educated  citizens,  accomplished  acho  arsVKl? 
Zr  n"""^'?'"'  '^'•""8"»''«'l  ""•"'.  "d  P«»ninent  statesmen.    In  the  mkls"  of 

to  mingle  with  Uieir  prayera,  and  to  commemorate  with  their  labours,  the  name  of 
Uieir  great  benefactor.  "What  human  being  can  be  insensible  to  the  happi'?.,  of 
haying  cauwd  auch  a  succeuion  of  aood  throuah  »emot«  .„».  „"  rZ  rU'rl^VJl 

^  — -  ■  ■  o~  --— —  — Q««j  WB  s«v»  Twi  tasi  saga 


APPBNDiX. 


507 


purpose^  and  chiracterisiic  of  him  who  did  noth^i  Ihi  kT  T.  ?'"?<>"'""«>  to  it* 

Aftorthe  building  .h.ll  have  bel  como  Jted  t  m''  ^^  '*!''  ""'  <*»  ""»"• 
of  two  milliona  of  Jollari,  now  viedinTin!  hnnj^  ^  "*' '  "'"""  '••«  »"""•'  income 
if  thew  funds  .houid  b«  nadZ.t  fifr  .Jl  tt«  f ".  ""*  '*?  !*'°"""«1  d»"«' !  "d 
income  of  nearly  all  the  ZSToL'^LS^  itZ  .T'^'"?  ^"  "'"''•"°»'  ">• 
of  a.  many  new  building,  a.  hi.  .qua  ^in  the  c Uv  I^ihT"'*""''*'  '°  "»"  "«"=''«"» 
w  general,  it  may  be  .tited  with  rea'oMbleconfiL  !'"''".''""'»'"«<'•  So  that, 
•re  ready  for  the  reception  of7hepuprthee  will  h„   ^*^'m'  7^^"  »"  ""»  ^uildingi 

and  ,u.Ui„ed  them  have  beerfolded  in  death      Th«i'?  '"7.  hitherto  embraced 
h«p»  in  afSuence;  but  now  ihev  stan.l  «i„n!     k    t^^yj^'i^^  '"fe  in  comfort,  per- 

.«in.t  the  world-;  coldnea^/wUrprecart^^^  '"^'P'""'  "^  •'™«8'» 

o?  instruction,  and  treading  otT  hat  narrow  •h.,"''  "^  '"'"""ence.  with  no  pro.f^t ' 

•tea  want  from  crime.    F?om  thia  friendTe«  conSf.!!!'  ?.'«"  *'"'='» ""' »"«»  ~P"- 

make,  an  "  orphan,"  thesreater  wMkm...    ?  ""^  *^®8'ee  of  destitution  which 

choly  inquiry,  Wt  chil/  ri^who  m.v  not^hT"'""  f°«"  "?»"  "<»  the  melan- 
indeed  among  u.  who«,  child  e^maynory^t  need  ,h'e  ^Z  °'^^'V  u-  ^*'°''  ">"» 
Let  none  of  us,  in  the  confidence  of  nrnfl^wt  a  '•'•""'g'  »f  thi.  institution  t 
Alas!  all  our  prosperity  i.  so  vafn  .ndT-T  ^'  ^T""  ^"  "^^  »ff»P""«  «ecure. 
tmbush  to  assail  u^  hat  it  v^ere  nr«.  In^  ^'  ""'^  °'"f°rt"''e  is  so  con!t«,tIy  ia 
yoDd  the  reach  of  v  c  sLLTwTh  wSdrndTr'"'  K^  "'•'"  '"PP"»«  '"'"••'''''•- 
refuge  for  his  children.  Ye,  S^^.^ZtMtrT^  '•"  '""'""'""•  *"  »'W'«« 
of  us  all.  It  is  intended  to  reraX  Sifortn  „«J  »„  'l*«t  "  °"  *"^  ■  '•>«  P'W 
ABd  it  should  be  a  «>urce  of  3  ^^n  i  ?  .'"  *''"u^*'  *«  "«  «»  eq^'Hy  l'«Wo. 
▼trying  turns  of  hL^n  We  mfsfortunrhJ' m"  '°  T*"  °^  "'■  ">»'  ''> '"  the  ever- 
who  be*ar  our  n.mes?wd  ari  tod  tote  1"^)^^^''''"  ^^  *!."*  '"'?""  "'•  '»'«r 
find  a  home  where  they  may  be  preparSi  for  futu  e  !?.«£  ?"'  •^""PI'"'".  «"'  »>«»• 
*''Verfr''"r'i.'"P'^"  «'  theiS^t^pIe^  JeTat^e;"'^        '"••  '^*'""'  '"  '"«» 

A^t^tirhara^^^^^^^^^ 

were  wanting,  may  serv^e^osuSteihel.^L?''*'!'!*''?   ''^^•"^  ""'=''  •""»"'• 
ieter  the  insLt  J.  to  renderTw^  of  theTo^^ct^^^^^^^^     '"  '"'"  """  """r 

emy  find  of  libeS.nd  u.:fultstS^y  ""^°'"'  ""'  «™f '»J"°«"'  "^  *«">.  »<> giv 

regi;;?it::^„\Tr.L:ro;%re  st^^^^^ 

housed  together  to  be  keot  from  hV,™  '      .  *  ''®'*"'"  "'""''*'  °^  pauper  boys, 

•truction,  and  then  ,0  be  thrusrout  on'.hl'  '°  u?'*"  T"  »"»'y  "'dimenl;  of  in- 
of  urtfortinate  ch1"d  en  By  n5  mean,  tC}  "^  T^^-  ^'^  '"  '  "™""  •'*"'» 
looked  to  higher  and  bettef  thZr  I  i.  Jot  a  Zr -tl ''  ^«"«r'«""  "J  G'"«l 
a  free  school,  in  their  ordinary  afcentaiin  It  i^^.  K.^'*  ""■'  *  '''""y  ''J!°»''  "« 
The  peremptory  prohibition  K  "  n^Snct  v   dre.S  sJ^^^^^^^^  "'  '  "  »""*«'-," 


508 


APPENDIX. 


M  of  the  hiffhest  character,  embracing  almost  everything  worthy  of  beinir  atudied  in 
the  circle  of  human  knowledge.     "  They  shall  be  instructed,"  say*  he,  "in  the  vari- 
ous branches  of  a  sound  education,  comprehending  reading,  writing,  grammar  arith- 
mei.c,  geography,  navigation,  surveying,  practical  mathematics,  astronomy,  natural, 
cbymical,  and  experimental  philosophy,  the  French  and  Spanish  languages  (I  do  not 
forbid,  but  I  do  not  recommend  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages),  and  such  other 
I^drning  and  science  as  the  capacities  of  the  several  acholars  may  merit  or  warrant," 
This  excludes  nothing,  nay,  it  embraces  everything  necessary  to  form  a  well-edu- 
cated man.     How  far  this  instruction  is  to  be  carried  ;  whether,  when  the  degrees 
Of  talent  and  disposition  come  to  be  analyied,  some  are  to  be  instructed  up  to  the 
point  of  their  appropriate  capacity,  while  the  more  intelligent  and  more  diligent  are  to 
be  carried  into  the  higher  regions  of  science,  are  questions  of  future  administration, 
to  be  decided  by  experience.    But  it  is  manifest  that  all  the  means  of  education, 
thorough,  perfect  education,  are  to  be  provided ;  that  every  facility  for  the  acquisition 
01  knowledge  should  be  at  hand ;  nor  is  there  any  reason  why  the  Girard  College— 
liberally  endowed  beyond  all  example— should  not  be  superior  to  any  existing  estab- 
lishment  in  the  talents  of  its  professors,  or  the  abundance  of  its  means  of  instruction  • 
tnd,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  so  it  shall  be.    There  shall  be  collected  within  these 
walla  all  that  the  knowledge  and  research  of  men  have  accumulated  to  enliehten  and 
improve  the  minds  of  youth.     It  will  be  the  civil  West  Point  of  this  country,  where 
all  the  sciences  which  minister  to  men's  happiness,  and  all  the  arts  of  peace,  may  be 
thoroughly  and  practically  taught.     Its  success  will  naturally  render  it  the  model  for 
other  institutions ;  the  centre  of  all  improvement  in  things  taught,  no  less  than  in 
the  ut  of  teaching  them ;  the  nursery  of  instructem  as  well  as  pupils ;  thus  not 
merely  accomplishing  the  direct  benefit  of  those  to  whom  its  instruction  extends,  but 
irradiating  by  ita  example  the  whole  circumference  of  human  knowledge 

To  this  intellectual  cultivation  will  be  added  that  without  which  all  instruction  is 
valueless,  and  all  learning  the  mere  ability  for  evil,  that  moral  discipline  which  makes 
men  virtuous  and  happy  at  their  own  firesides.  "  My  desire  is,"  says  he,  "  that  all 
the  instructers  and  teachers  in  the  college  shall  take  pains  to  instil  into  the  minds  of 
tfte  sehoian  the  pure  principles  of  morality,  so  that  on  their  entrance  into  active  life 
they  may,  from  inclination  and  habit,  evince  benevolence  towards  their  fellow-crea- 
tures, and  a  love  of  truth,  sobriety,  and  industry."  When  this  harmony  between 
the  heart  and  the  understanding  ceases,  mere  knowledge  is  a  curse,  and  men  become 
intellectual  statues,  with  the  perfect  forms  of  manly  exterior,  but  cold,  and  selfish, 
•nd  worthless  to  the  community  which  endures  them.  Our  youth,  too,  will  not  fail 
to  be  deep  y  imbued  with  that  enthusiastic  devotion  to  republican  government,  and 
that  knowledge  of  his  public  rights  and  duties,  which  should  form  the  basis  of  the 
American  character.  It  is  thus  that  the  founder  strictly  enjoins,  "that  by  everr 
proper  means  a  pure  attachment  to  our  republican  institutions,  and  to  the  sacred 
rights  or  conscience  as  guarantied  by  our  happy  constitution,  shall  be  farmed  and 
fostered  in  the  minds  of  the  scholars." 

Nor  need  there  be  any  dread  that  auch  an  education  will  disqualify  them  for  their 
puismta  in  after  life.  In  this  country  all  pursuits  are  open  to  all  men,  nor  should  the 
Humblest  citizen  despair  of  the  highest  honours  of  the  republic.  They  err  who  aun- 
pose  that  because  men  are  instructed  they  may  desert  the  ordinarv  walks  of  emplov- 
ment.  ihere  never  can  be  such  an  over-education  of  the  mass  of  the  people.  Men 
labour  not  for  want  of  knowledge,  but  for  want  of  bread.  The  cultivation  of  the 
rnrnd,  like  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  only  renders  it  more  productive,  snd  knowledee 
becomes  the  best  auxiliary  to  industry  by  rendering  the  labourer  more  intellia-nt  and 
more  ambitious  to  excel  The  youths  thus  instructed  will  go  forth  into  the">ari«is 
pursuits  of  life,  many  of  which  are  in  their  nature  mechanical ;  but  they  will  beein 
with  the  disposition  and  the  power  not  merely  to  excel  in  them,  but  to  rise  beyond 

.„j"n  »  u^  ^^  ""H  V!^VP  '""*""  '•'*''  workshops,  as  their  countrymen  Franklin, 
and  Rittenhouse,  and  Godfrey,  and  Fulton  did  before  them,  reaching  all  the  distine' 
tions  ofthe  state  which  may  be  honourably  won  by  UlenU  and  character. 
»«  i^  ,u  ".*""  **'  "*  ""."y  Wessings  may  be  appropriate  to  them,  it  is  intended 
1-j  r  !u  f  ""uT  r"''^  ®^ '"  P"*  °'*J"»» '  *°"^y  of  tl"*  wme  of  its  founder. 
!^!^  •  .u"^  *'"*''  *■*.*'"  '"  •"*'""•  '"  ""bellish.  Among  the  sciences  most 
needed  in  this  country,  where  individual  wealth  is  hastening  to  indulge  its  taste,  and 
Whore  every  state,  and  city,  and  county  requires  extensive  public  buildings,  is  archi- 
tecture.    Indisoensable  in  ihn  «,<)»>  fm-m.  «f  y.u  :>  i _—  .u-  i.:_l-?.  _ 


-m:.. 


APPENDIX. 


Ii09 


-m 


dSyT£rhl:to'f\h;"„a*:i:7wt^^  -'ye  "f  !i»  public  work. 

necessarily  many  SLS  lotXvo   Z^r^t  ""j«'  '""^  *'•  «PPend.ge..  I  leave 
other  agenta '•  ^      selecting  members  for  their  city  councils  and 

U.  responsibility,  and  a  determination  tHxeculeh  i^tharDirt  of  «Xh.  '"T^^ 

To  the  cause  of  Edtualion,  which  gives  to  human  life  its  chief  value  • 
J  fii'aUy?""  '  "'*'""  "^'"='  ''"'"•'''«•'  wer?  wo„e'£'unav.iling; 

edIVnd  rrrcanl'Sra  "'°"  ""'"  "  *«  "°'"-'  "•^-' '»  -•»"'"'  ^".U 

of ijrlt^Ypoic'uv  .'Z^'r*^  ^»  "'  ""j*'"'^  ''"P'-^'y'  ^^-^  ?"«>•  •"<!  "dmiration 
L  mJSf  ciC.  to^S.^^/  hTT"  '^  y'*''*  "•  »"""»'  harvests  of  educated 


No.  vir. 

•PBOPOB.D  PLAN  POR   BfPBCTINO  A  VOYAM  KOTOD  THK   OLOBI. 

(Referred  to  at  page  in.) 
Pboposid  plan  for  effecting  a  voyage  round  the  eiobe  hv  iht,  mnfo  «r  t»j-    n^- 
na,  Japan,  and  the  Pacific  Isles,  for  the  purposes  of  CcoVmv  CivStil    ''if'r.^'"* 
merce  combined.    To  be  performed  unVthe  Lctior^iTEvT^on^t  eT 

covery  of  new  articles  of  commeicial  return.  ««nuJ»cture8.    4.  The  dis- 


610 


APPENDIX. 


The  throne  of  England  being  now,  for  the  fiwt  time  in  all  its  histoiy,  filled  by  a 
monarch  whose  earhest  years  were  devoted  to  the  service  of  his  country  at  sea,  and 
who  has  ever  since  cherished  a  fond  regard  for  the  welfare  and  glory  of  the  national 
marine,  the  commencement  of  his  auspicious  reign  cannot  fail  to  give  an  additional 
interest  to  every  enterprise  of  which  the  ocean  is  to  be  the  element,  and  British  sea- 
men the  instruments  of  its  accomplishment. 

.t,  ^^?j  "^  '***  °^  Alexander  and  Ptolemy,  who  each  sent  expeditions  to  explore 
the  bidden  sources  of  the  Nile,  down  to  the  present  day,  when  our  enterprising 
countrymen,  Franklin  and  Parry,  have  been  employed,  at  great  personal  risk  and 
vast  public  expense,  to  find  a  northern  passage  into  the  Pacific  Sea,  the  mere  solu- 
tion of  some  geographical  problem  only,  without  reference  to  higher  views,  has  been 
•ufficient  to  call  forth  the  energies  and  justify  the  fame  of  those  distinguished  voya- 
gers of  all  nations,  from  Nearchus  to  Columbus,  by  whom  expeditions  of  mere  dis- 
covery have  been  conducted,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  enlist  the  patronage  and  sym- 
pathies of  kings,  q-jeens,  nobles,  and  people  in  their  success. 

It  is  believed  khat  much  remains  to  be  done,  even  in  this  department  of  knowledge 
only,  and  that  the  geoaranhical  and  hydrographical  features  of  our  globe  are  yet  very 
Jar  from  being  perfectFy  delineated  ;  so  that  a  voyage  of  circumnavigation,  if  direct- 
ed (0  this  object  alone,  would  be  still  worthy  the  patronage  and  support  of  the  first 
mwitime  nation  of  the  world,  and  of  every  class  of  its  inhabitants. 

But  there  is  one  important  duty  that  has  never  yet  been  incorporated  with  any 
■yatematic  and  well-digested  plan  for  a  voyage  of  discovery;  which  is,  to  lay  the 
toundations  for  a  future  commercial  intercourse  with  the  coasts  and  islands  discov- 
ered, by  leaving  among  their  inhabitants  the  best  meraorTals  that  men  can  aver  be- 
queath to  each  ether,  namely,  specimens  of  the  useful  manufactures,  models  of  air- 
iicultnral  and  domestic  implements,  and  descriptions  of  the  arts  and  conveniences 
Which  time  and  experience  have  enabled  us  to  discover  and  apply  to  the  improve- 
ments and  comforts  of  life;  with  the  seeds  of  elementary  and  useful  knowledft 
planted  m  such  a  manner  as  to  lead  to  a  harvest  of  intellectual  and  moral  improve- 
ment, and  tho  consequent  increase  of  happiness  to  those  who  are  thus  blessed. 

1  he  present  period  seems  peculiarly  favourable  for  such  an  undertaking,  inasmuch 
M  the  shores  and  islands  of  the  Eastern  hemisphere,  in  the  space  lying  between  Chi- 
na and  South  America,  including  thy  coasts  of  Cores,  Formosa,  Japan,  Borneo.  Cel- 
•bet,  the  Moluccas,  the  Philippines,  the  Kurile  Archipelago,  and  the  countless  isl- 
and*  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  are  the  parts  of  the  globe  least  accuratelv  known  in  every 
•ense ;  and  these  are  now  likely  soon  to  become  as  accessible  to  'English  ships  as 
they  have  been  to  foreign  vessels  only,  it  being  already  understood  that  the  East  In- 
Hia  tvompany  will  be  willing  to  admit  of  Enghsh  ships  being  employed,  as  American 
ana  other  foreign  vessels  now  are,  in  the  conveyance  of  exports  from  this  country 
to  every  part  of  the  Eastern  seas,  reserving  to  themselves  the  import  of  particulw 
articles  only ;  and  it  being  matter  of  still  greater  certainty  that,  supposing  no  chance 
whatever  to  take  place  in  this  respect,  they  would  readily  grant  their  license  or  per- 
miwon  to  any  ship  proceeding  on  a  publicly  avowed  voyage  of  discovery  and  mod- 
em  improvement  like  this.  ■' 

The  want  of  an  accurate  knowledge  of  distant  countries  when  they  are  first  open- 
ed to  new  intercourse  has  been  productive  of  infinite  loss  and  misery  by  the  evil 
of  over-trading,  arising  from  the  natural  anxiety  of  all  adventursrs  to  be  first  in  the 
market,  ond  to  be  provided  with  a  full  supply  of  everything  needed  ;  but,  not  know- 
ing  what  IS  actually  required,  either  in  quantity  or  description,  everything  is  taken,  a 
glut  ensues,  and  more  than  half  the  e.Tporis  are  lost  or  destroyed 

Such  accurate  knowledge  cannot  be  speedily  obtained  except  by  a  voyace  under- 

liaimK  sfr'' "' "''  "'''^""^ ''"''"""°" '"  «^""»g  •'  - » -y- 

-n.'S™"'!'  "•^"'fi't'^"'  this  purpose  is  that  a  ship  of  suflScient  size  and  competent 
equipments  should  be  provided  hy  the  British  public,  fitted,  manned,  and  ready  for 
sea  ;  combining  perhaps  the  use  of  steam  for  occasional  application  in  currents  and 

«ST,''J„f  ^"  '*^''^  '"^"  °^  ^'-  ^»"°"  "  "  ^^«>""'y  '"•"  foundering,  and  sSch 
other  modem  improvements  as  may  tend  to  increase  the  speed,  safety,  and  perfect 
accomplishment  of  the  voyage.  '  periecj 

f«o!!l!  ')?  '"l''"  ^1"'P,'»en'»  '»eing  8'ven  as  a  donation  to  this  great  object,  no 
:  !j:!-  v.?"  ""  ^"'  °^  "*^  P""*''?  *'"  l>e. needed,  as  the  c  - 


ng,  ia  the  purchase  and  sale  of  couiinoUilies,  and  in  the 


ordinary  operal^ns  of 
conveyance  of  gooda 


APPENDIX. 


611 


•nd  putenffers  from  pl.ee  to  place,  on  the  route  will  defny  all  the  «ib.«fl.»nt 
charge,  of  iTie  voyage;  and.  to  prevent  all  misconception  on  t".  '"biect  k^i.2«1^ 
nlarly  requeated  to  be  observed  that  this  is  not  intended  as  a  ioinrit^t  JT? 
company,  but  a  pablic  subscription  for  a  great  pubiru,"emSS„.  /"tK"* 
iisk  or  concern  on  the  part  of  the  subscribers       ^         ""•'•taking,  without  farther 

nature,  will  be  the  following  :  ^  *  P"*"'"  *^  general 

I.  To  add  to  the  existing  sSock  of  knowledge  every  new  fact  th>t  r.n  k-  -„n    . 

Mcertain  by  actual  experiment  what"•,;.rticr1;^Son^?"'^'a;:•  ."ITit^'  lo" 

ftUBbandry,  and  domestic  comfort    n  use  amonff  ourselves   as  wbII  ..  .  J5      i    . 
SmTnfo?':  ?  T''T'"-"'  °/  '''V  ■''•"^ '  •"''  ""y  "'^  "-d    i"      Sett 

These  are  the  mere  outlines  of  the  plan ;  but  the  statement  of  theae  will  l»  .„fR 
cent  to  enable  every  reader  to  fill  up  much  of  the  details  ^  '"®" 

Ihe  classes  of  the  community  from  whom  the  most  cordial  aid  mav  be  eineci«l 
towards  th.a  underUkmg.  and  the  reasons  for  their  ready  c^lo^eraS.  areXS 

1.  From  the  members  of  both  houses  of  Parliament-  Becanii«  thA  inf«™..f!«- 

't'i^H '"  '"'V  '"^r  r"'!  •'«  ™°'« ''"P'"-  •nTl;e  accu^U,  LteTe  '«" 
tory  evidence  of  accidental  and  often  unobservant  and  indifferent  wi?nesse^  on 

Sutn'rr- ^'°'  '"kT"/  ">«  L«gi-iature  is  now  too  often  obStrely  for  Z 
facts  and  opinions  which  form  the  basis  of  their  commercial  meaaures.         ^ 

.!«!".  Tf  '''"^  *"''  8*""^  °^  Eng'and.  from  the  learned  and  liberal  orofes- 
«ons.  and  from  persons  not  engaged  in  any  mercantile  business :  Becau.^tira£ 
lition  of  Ignorance  idolatry  and  slavery,  and  the  advancement  of  the  Sea"  in^As?^ 
of  humanity  morality,  and  knowledge,  will  be  promoted  thereby.         *^ 

tAZX^""  ^""f"]  "l"*''""":  ^^»""  ^^'"y  •«''J'»'«>n  to  the  number  of  places 
IfJ  ^f.L  •''  """  '.""'*  '?*""'  ""» •=''*"««  °f  «''»  <■'«"»  the  shutting  up  o?ausDe^ 
..on  of  their  operations  m  any  .ingle  quarter,  and  consequently  muUiplesthe^r 
chances  of  gam ;  and  because  every  improvement  in  the  charts  of  uSvro  coasU 
and  seas  increases  the  safety  of  navigation  and  trade  unsown  coasts 

,J:J'°"*f  ""^  •:'''?-»*"«'?:  Because  the  extreme  depression  of  the  shipping  inteN 
est  arises  from  the  competition  of  foreign  vessels  sailing  cheaper  han  Enfffsh  onl^ 
and  occupying  the  carrying  trade  of  Europe;  which  can  onTy  be  r" iKd  brex 
tending  our  maritime  trade  to  distant  parts  of  th«  worl.l   u,),„7  Z!^'^-i~---'t 
Enowleuge  of  navigation  and  «.amanahip,  no  such  competitloVwili' bVme  I'bilt  "the 


512 


APPENDIX. 


l\Z?,iil[il5?i!''*  '"'v  "^  "P*"™"  «'»  -ecure  to  BritiA  .hip.  by  to  tht 
largest  portion  of  the  maritime  conveyance.  j  •«  m. 

..  wpflT.k  '  '""!'  **'  ^"«''"/  K«"«""y :  »«""»«  one  of  the  most  dUtingui.hinir 
1^1  «lr  i*"*  "°«  "volting  features  of  Eastern  manners,  and  of  semi-bKuf 

has  been  universally  found  that,  wherever  nations  of  people  become  imoroved  in 
their  knowtedge,  or  advanced  in  the  scale  of  civilization  by  intercou«e  wTth  .  'L" 
ZinT;.  '"'  *«""d'''<»?  of  women  is  ameliorated ;  and  this  effect  becomhTg 
Sinl  .^H  •  ""!.'*■*  ^""^^  improvement  in  the  condition  of  men;  thus  aug? 
hZur?H  r  '''P~'^"""8  good,  until  at  length  wives  become  the  intel  ectual  and 
moZ!!  ""P'?!.""'  |n»tead  of  being  the  degraded  slave,  of  their  husbands  and 

nnh!iA",f'  '"'i!^'  ^"""  P""'*"  "'*^  institution.,  and  from  the  conductor,  of  the 
public  press;  because  every  acquisition  made  to  the  stores  of  knowledge  increase. 

uZ^ZZ  '"i  «"P»«r"'/!:  *"  8'"'  ''"«=""8  «"«'"«  »'y  which  public  Z  on 
IS  regulated  and  swayed,  and  because  all  the  preceding  classes  alreaJy  enuinera  ed 
■re  under  the  influence  of  their  dominion  and  control  ^  enumeratea 

It  may  oe  added  that,  since  this  plan  of  tlia  voyage  was  first  .ent  to  the  nress  an 
association  for  effecting  a  portion  at  least  o,  the  same  objects  has  been  estXhed  b 
Pans,  under  the  title  of  "  the  Society  of  Civilization,"  at  the  head  of  which  is  the 

and  wetv^t  AlI^F  '  l'^"° "  "'  '^'  """""y  "«'  learned  mltFr  'nee ; 
rfr.  «  ™„^f  ^  .1  '",E".g''"'«>  »"  association  for  discovering  the  interior  of  Afl 
ZthZl  "  ""?'»»«  foj  improving  the  condition  of  it.  unhlppy  people,  both  of 
ESnd  *  *"  '*"  """"  '""*  '"PP*"''  °^  "•"""  »f  the  n^le.t'^fainiiie.  il 

The  difliculty  of  effecting  such  objects  by  a  single  asrociation  is.  however  ex 
ceedingly  great:  first,  from  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  sufficient  fuSr from  Z 
.mal  annual  subscriptions  of  four  or  five  hundred  members  only,  and  Tom  th^cost 
?rom  whiZ„"'H  7"  "T*  *'*°"?  ""  °""'y  °f  «'?«"«»•  without  any  source"  of  profi 
&of  c™no.U*'f!^^  ""T,'  ?"•'•  "•'"'"J'y-.fro™  the  diversity  of  opinion  and  di.K 
.l^^L?"  '•  '"'.«?«")'  e  from  an  association,  being  most  prejudicial  to  the  rapid 
md  decisive  execution  of  indispensably  prompt  and  energetic  measure.  ^ 

^J.IZV/^    expedition  will  be  free  from  all  these  difficulties,  as,  if  the  ship  be 

il  the  ™^  Kf  ""• ''?^  /?"''"  '''^'  ''y  ^^^  °"^*""y  "O'lrces  of  trade  and  profi 
m  the  route;  wh.^  a  single  directing  mind,  assisted  only  by  the  scientific  comDan- 

Lwi  ?n  eat  dZJrrV^  T^'  ^•'.?  ^'»  "«  -elecW  with  reference  to  tC 

cradleThe^rvrt"'","""  •""  '^'•""^"'•king  I  wi"  »ay  only  this:  that  from  my 
bTen  m»  lei  „«..^T"?  """'.''"' '""'''"°?  "^  ''"«=°'«'y  «"«'  improvement  have 
«!mmTL  w  *  ?""°"»-     *  wen'  to  sea  at  nine  years  of  age ;  obtained  a  maritime 

the  world  tLrw.r?  T'^VV  ^'r  "'"^''^  •"  ^l'''  "P«<='ty  »>'"o»t  allTrt™? 
W  he  Red^«  Kp  •  ^°"n  ".",''  ?'"'i^  ^•?«""'  'he  Mediterranean,  Turkey 
r,gypt,  tne  Ked  Sea,  the  Persian  Gulf,  the  East  Indies,  includinir  Bombav  Cevlon 

ufTA^^pT'^r''  '«"'*  !'•'«'"-«"«»  by  land  far  int'o  the  iKr  oflfgyj^^^^^^^^^ 
.dlfA  ^^  «•""":  Sy"a.  Mesopotamia,  Babylonia,  Media,  and  Persia^' I  have 
afmosflll  fh!"""™*'.  '"""'•^  '^^  '""K""'  ""«*  "^I'tomed  myself  to  the  manners  of 

iTh  T.m  ;"'''""r'  ?°";'"l'  "•"'**'•  »"•*  P"**''  «"•>  "fe'y  ""i  respect  through 
each.  I  am  m  my  forty-fourth  year,  sufficiently  strong,  healthy,  vigorous  and  ene^ 
gctic  for  any  enterprise  of  difficulty  and  danper,  and  with  eno^oghTex£nce  to 

'nd  the  d'ittr  ortr  ""rt'l?  '"V*"  '  ^''''«  *»'«  ^^0  '  have  SS 
fertnt  i^li^M    I  '*^'""  '  """S  delivered,  of  which  not  less  than  100.000  dif' 

mv  rsitl  t^  mi"  ?T'  P"''  °^  ^"8'""'^  ^^'^  »>«"  'he  witnesses,  wil  confirm 
mjj  opacity  to  collect  information,  to  record  it  in  writing,  and  to  impart  it  verbally  to 

tl«TA«'Srn'"!?"i.''  ^  "^  *""  «°"^"ot'"g  and  commanding  thi.  enterprise  i.  this: 
he  fi™!  ?„  f.r*^  •""  TJ?r"'r-l?"^' »«  '''^  '«**»•  »»>«.  raised  may  fimish-be  in 
„f  £111  "fV"'!^*^  ^y  i^^  ^""''*'  P^hlic,  leaving  every  subsequent  eipei  e 
of  the_  voyage  to  be  paid  out  of  her  trading  freights  or  gains :  .„d  th.t  .11  tK-T." 
rtais  inus  suppueu  io  iue  a.  instrument,  with  which  to  effect  the" und'ertaklngi" be 


iPPENDIZ. 


513 


&;■: 


placed  entirely  at  my  dispoul,  on  the  pledge  that  after  this  voyage  round  the  slobe 
hjks  been  performed,  and  the  objects  accomplished  as  far  aa  may  be  found  practica- 
ble  aocordmg  to  the  plan  detaili^d  above,  a  faithful  narrative  of  the  proceedinsa  of 
the  expediUon,  from  ita  departure  to  ita  return,  shall  be  published  for  the  honour  of 
those  who  may  conlribute  to  ita  formation,  and,  it  ia  hoped,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
world  at  large, 

London,  June  1,1830.  J.  S.  Boownohaii 

ROTAL  INSTITUTION. 

At  a  numerone  public  meeting,  held  at  the  Royal  Institution  of  Great  BriUin.  on 
Thursday,  June  88d,  1830,  h.s  roy.l  highness  the'  Duke  of  Sussex,  pre.  dent  of  tS 
Society  for  the  encouragement  of  Arts,  Manufacture,,  and  Commerce,  in  the  chair, 
the  following  resolutions  wert.  unanimously  adopted  : 

Nfoved  by  hi.  grace  THiDtrKi  or  Somirs.t,  president  of  the  Royal  Instito. 
tion,  and  seconded  by  Loan  John  Rossbli,,  M.P.,  vice-preaident  of  the  So- 
ciety  for  the  Diffusion  of  Useful  Knowledge.  "•  wo  cm». 

.1,  ^•, '^'"V *8  P'*n  ?"  which  Mr. Buckingham  propose,  to  conduct  a  vovaffe  round 
he  globe  for  promoting  the  great  objects  of  hydrographical  discovery,  prac^al  civ- 
1  .^"T'»'  «^°""n««'«>  «nq«'ry.  appear.  to  this  meeting  to  be  eminently  well  cal- 
culated to  produce  great  national  advantage,  and  much  general  good,  and  to  be 

lubec°t7  '"PP""^  "*'"  ""*"  "«*«'"'•<'•  °f  hi'  majesty^ 

Mwed  by  Lord  Dorhak,  and  seconded  by  the  Riv.  Arthur  S.  Wadr,  D.D  . 

k  ^m"^  n'  'I*?  T"""'  f  f P«"«"":e,  active  habits,  and  diversified  knowledge  evinced 
^  \r'  ^"'^"'"g"*™  ">  hia  writings  and  lectures  on  the  countries  of  the  Eaatera 
world,  added  to  the  unwearred  zeal  manifested  by  him  in  his  endeavour,  to  excite 
tbe  sympathy  of  the  people  of  Europe  in  behalf  of  their  Asiatic  fellow- beinea.  are. 
in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting,  qualification,  which  peculiarly  fit  him  for  command, 
ing  thi.  expedition,  and  conducting  it  to  a  happy  termination. 

Moved  by  Admiral  Sir  Stdniy  Smith,  K.C.B.,  and  seconded  by  Sir  Alrx- 
ANDRR  Johnston,  late  chief-justice  of  his  majeaty's  Supreme  Court  in  Ceylon, 
and  vice-president  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society. 

3.  That  the  membera  of  thia  asMmbly,  having  themselves  cheerfully  contributed 
their  assistance  towards  the  commencement  of  this  new  and  interesting  undertakio*. 
do  feel  themselves  justified  in  earnestly  inviting  all  the  eneouragers  of  useful  knolrt^ 
edge,  the  fnends  of  moral  improvement,  and  the  promoter,  of  commercial  intercourse, 
to  co-operate  with  them  m  advancing,  by  their  contributions,  the  eomplelion  of  thiii 
great  design.  '  ' 

Moved  by  General  Sir  Samuel  Bentham,  K.S.G.,  and  seconded  by  Coi. 
THE  Hon.  Lbigestbr  Stanhope.  ' 

4.  That  the  following  noblemen  and  gentlemen,  taken  from  among  the  eartieat  of 
the  London  subscriber.,  obtained  before  any  public  announcement  of  the  plan  had 
been  made,  and  including  member,  of  all  the  several  profession.,  be  .olicited  to  ae- 
lect,  out  of  their  own  numbers,  a  central  or  metropolitan  committee  (five  of  whom 
may  at  any  time  form  a  quorum),  for  the  purpose  of  suggesting  auch  meaauna  aa 
they  may  conceive  best  calculated  to  promote  the  end  in  view : 

The  Duke  ff  Somerset,  P.R.I. 
The  Duke  of  Bedford. 
The  Duke  of  Deronshire.  K.G. 
The  Duke  of  Portland. 


The  Duke  of  Lein.ter. 
The  Marquis  of  Lansdowne. 
The  Marquis  of  Hastings. 
The  Marquis  of  Sligo. 
The  Earl  Spencer,  K.G. 
The  liord  Viscount  Torrington. 
The  Lord  Bishop  of  Norwich. 
The  Lord  £>onUes. 
Vol..  L—  3  T 


The  Lord  Holland. 
The  Lord  Grenville. 
The  Lord  Ellenborough,  P.B.C. 
The  Lord  Durham. 
The  Marqui.  of  Tavistock,  M.P. 
Lord  Viscount  Milton,  M.P. 
Lord  John  Russell,  M.P. 
Lord  F.  Leveson  Gower,  M.P. 
Sir  Francis  Burdett,  Bt ,  MP. 
The  Rt.  Hon.  Lord  Nugent,  M.P. 
R.  Cutlar  Ferffuson.  E«a..  MP. 
James  Alexander,  Esq.,  M.P. 


«14 

Sir  JameiSctriett,  MP. 

Re.  Hon.  W.  Huskisson,  M.P. 

Henry  Brougham,  Em.,  M.P. 

William  Cavendiah,  Eaq.,  M.P. 

The  Hon.  G.  Agar  EUit,  M.P. 

Chr.  Baring  Wall,  Esq.,  M.P 

E.  W.  Pendarvea,  Esq.,  M.P. 

Thomas  Wm.  Coke,  Esq.,  M.P. 

Hon.  G.  Ponsonby,  M.P. 

Kobert  Otway  Cave.  Esq.,  MP. 

W  W.Whitmore,E.q^M.P. 

J.  Cam  Hobhouse,  Esq.,  M.P. 

Daniel  Sykes,  Esq.,  M.P. 

John  Maxwell,  Esq..  M.P. 

Ed.  D.  Davenport,  Esq.,  M.P. 

John  Marshall,  Esq.,  M.P. 

Rt.  Hon.  Sir  J.  Sinclair,  Bart. 

Gen.  Sir.  J.  Doyle,  Bt.,  K.C.B. 

Gen.  Sir  S.  Bentharo,  K.S.G. 

Col.  PiUclarence,  V.P.R.A.S. 

Col.  Hon.  Leicester  Stanhope. 

Col.  T.  Perronet  Thompson. 

Capt.  A.  W.  Robe,  Royal  Eng. 

Admiral  Sir  S.  Smith,  K.C.B. 

Capt.  Alex.  McKonochie,  R.N. 

Capt.  Glasscock,  R.N. 

Cpt.  F.  Marryatt,  RN  iien";^  L^nm:^r.  E^j. 

A  committee  having  been  formed,  and  measures  taken  for  obtaining  thi.  ««„.-u- 
&V^  V'  "^o^yhing  anpeared  to  warrant  the  hoJL  of  uZ.t  S«! 

tfX'fr^  """i"  ^Wh'/'g^^^^^^^^  p  bftnTitrt'j 

^TnTJ:  ?•  '''*  ^"k/"  "bsorpiTon  of  the  public  thought  and  interMtTnStic.l 
affairs,  made  it  impossible  to  proceed  beyond  a  civen  ndint     Thn  ™!.vJ-i'7  Y 

r<^M^'t}^T'\^'  ''"'  ""'i''*^  '"f"'"  °f  •  "»«'«  individual  could  be  likelr  to  ac 
wSu  iil-SnTP"""'  in  the  e,pedition,*'l  had  hoped  to  do  .o3„J  Jf 
rZ^ j^^n^  .'^   T"'  "T^^  °^  *•''«''  "y  *»«  ^"'"H^  'be  United  Sutes "a?  th^ 

•uch  u>  expedition,  if  it  could  blprepared  and  equipped  for  aei  ^  "' 


APPENDIX. 

Capt.  Philip  Heywood,  R.N. 

Capt.  J.  Horsburgh,  India  H. 

Sir  Alex.  Johnston,  V.P.R.A.S. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Lardner,  LL.D. 

The  Rev.  A.  S.  Wade,  D.D.,  F.S.A. 

The  Rev.  John  Young,  LL.D. 

William  Wilberforce,  Eaq. 

Thomas  Clarkson,  Esq. 

Henry  Drummond,  Esq. 

W.  Babington,  M.D.,  P.R.S. 

B.  G.  Babington,  M.B.,  F.R.S, 

George  Birkbeck,  Esq.,  M.D. 

Southwood  Smith,  Eaq ,  M.D. 

Edward  Harrison,  Esq.,  M.D 

John  Wilks,  Esq. 

Matthew  Davenport  Hill,  Esq. 

Rowland  Hill,  Esq. 

John  Towill  Ruti,  Esq. 

William  Miller  Christy,  Esq. 

Thomas  Roscoe,  Esq. 

Robert  Lucas  Chance,  Esq. 

Sir  Peter  Laurie. 

"William  Vizard,  Esq. 

R.  Watson,  Esq.,  F.R.S.A. 

A.  V.  Kirwan,  Esq. 

Henry  Porc.'ier,  Z-^mi- 


*m  or  Toi..  I. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOL.  I. 


■'^ASHINSTON. 
Interior  of  the  H^Il  ^?r°J'  ""*  P""'='P»'  Ent^nce    . 

1^  wa,r-°i&irr.^ftss£. 


.  38 
.  38 
.  39 
.  40 
.  41 
.  42 
.  9S 
.  »9 
.  141 
.  149 
.  16S 
.  170 


108 
190 
205 
206 


.  265 
•  267 
.  269 
.279 


PHILADELPHIA. 
Merchants'  Exchanre 
United  States  Bank    . 
GirardBank       .       .  * 

Girard  College  .  .  '  ' 
MoyaiMnsing  County"  Prison  .' 
New  Almshouses 

United  States  Naval  Asylum  ; 
Pennsylvania  Hospital       .       . 

-,.  HUDSON    RIVER. 

The  Palisadoes  .       .  *  »  «  «• 

North  River  Boat       .       *       '       '       ' 

Monnnoent  of  Kosciusko,  the  Polish  Patriot 
View  from  Butter  Hill  *"  *^""»'»  ratnot 
CatokiU  Falls     .  •       •       •       . 


.333 
.  334 
.  33S 
.  340 
.  344 
.  391 
.  394 
.  40O 


.  461 
.  463 
.  ^65 
.  465 
.  475 


